cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting the Relative Abundance of Arthropods on Nectaried and Nectariless Cotton

This study further confirms that nectariless cultivars of cotton are less attractive than the near-isogenic nectaried cultivars when grown in small plots. The results also indicate that pest and beneficial arthropods are not reduced to the same degree. Of the 15 pest categories, 7 were little reduced by the nectariless cultivar, whereas the remaining eight had reductions of 24 to 42% averaged for the 4-year study period. All 15 beneficial species categories showed a significant ( P < 0.05) reduction on the nectariless cultivar (38 to 69% four year averaged reduction), these being affected to a greater degree than the pest. A disturbing question that remains is whether the utility of nectariless cultivars for reducing pest pressures is afforded at commercial levels of planting. As plot size increased from 0.11 to 4.05 ha, the reduction on the nectariless cultivar decreased from ca. 38 to 32%. The rate at which the differences between the nectaried and nectariless cultivars decreases implies that the advantage with the nectariless cultivar might disappear with commercial scale plantings. Further large-scale trials would however be required for confirmation of this trend
Developing a Toolkit to Improve Transportation Safety on Indian Reservations

Indian reservations hold the highest rate of crashes that lead to fatal and incapacitating injuries across the United States. Limited resources, absence of coordination across jurisdictions, and li...
Enhancing sustainability by integrated use of wood and natural fibers for energy, chemical feedstock and advanced materials

To achieve a sustainable future our evolving global society needs to embrace the concept of Integrated Biomass Technologies Such a systematic use of renewable bio resources to meet our needs could promote resource sustainability while at the same time maximizing feedstock values product performance and increased total profitability in either or both the agriculture and forest products industries The fundamental principles of Integrated Biomass Technologies include biorefining to produce biofuels bio based chemical feedstocks bioenergy and cellulose nano fibers using problematic waste or under valued biomass as a direct source of electrical energy and for developing advanced wood and biocomposite materials to engineer advanced structures These fundamental principles provide a global roadmap to bio based economies based on the systematic use of many under valued lignocellulosic resources to produce liquid biofuels energy chemical feedstocks and advanced materials Implementation of Integrated Biomass Technologies could lead to a more sustainable global society
Making Whitelisting-Based Defense Work Against BadUSB

Universal serial bus (USB) devices have widespread use in different computing platforms, including IoT gadgets, but this popularity makes them attractive targets for exploits and being used as an attack vector by malicious software. During recent years, several reports [17] ranked USB-based malware among top 10 popular malware. This security flaw can slow down the increasing penetration rate of IoT devices since most of those devices have USB ports. The research community and industry has tried to address USB security problem by implementing authentication protocols to protect users' private information and also scanning USB's storage space for any malicious software using their own repository of malware signatures, or simply disallowing use of USB devices on desktops. The new generation of USB malware does not hide in storage space, which means they are not detectable by conventional anti-malware. BadUSB is a malware recently introduced by security researchers. BadUSB modifies USB firmware and can attack all the systems which the infected USB is plugged in. The only applicable solution against this new generation of malware is whitelisting. However, generating a unique fingerprint for USB devices is challenging. In this paper, we propose an accurate USB feature based fingerprinting approach which helps us to create a list of trusted USBs as device whitelist. Our solution prevents and detects BadUSB and similar attacks by generating fingerprint from trusted USB devices' features and their primary usage. We verified the uniqueness of our generated fingerprints by analyzing real data which is collected from USB drives used by students in academic computer labs over one year. Our results indicate that our feature based whitelisting approach with an accuracy of 98.5% can identify USB whitelist members.
Electrostatic Methods for Perfect Matching and Safe Path Planning

In this paper, a new perfect matching algorithm for two sets of agents of the same sizes is proposed by simply following the electrostatic fields (ESF) in higher dimensional space. The algorithm also generates trajectories for each agent to avoid collisions between the same types. The proposed ESF follows the gradient descent of the harmonic potential function. It is shown that there are no saddle points, but there exists an invariant manifold which may evolve all agents to some consensus point. However, this invariant manifold (IM) is measure zero in the state space, and a sufficient condition for IM being unstable is proposed. Inspired by electrostatic forces with nonuniform charges, a weighted electrostatic field is proposed by following the gradient descent of a subharmonic function. Similarly, safe trajectories are generated with perfect matching, but the final assignment may be different from the original ESF method. A simulation result for the performance of the matching (an average L2 distance among the matching) is shown at the end and compared with the optimal (Hungarian) method.
What Happens After a Positive Screen for Depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Outpatient Burn Clinic

Multiple reports have demonstrated a wide prevalence of both depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within 1 year of burn injury. The purpose of this study is to determine outcomes of burn patients after a positive outpatient screen for depression or PTSD at an American Burn Association-verified burn center. All patients who screened positive were offered referral for psychologic and/or psychiatric counseling. Rescreening was performed with a goal of approximately 6 months. A total of 445 patients were enrolled with 91 (20.6%) screening positive for depression and 59 (13.4%) for PTSD. TBSA burned was associated with a positive screen for depression (P = .008) and PTSD (P = .012) while electrical injury was associated with a positive screen for depression (P = .029). Rescreening was done in 15.5% with 23% rescreening positive for depression and 15% for PTSD. The study validated the need for early screening and referral for psychologic and/or psychiatric counseling in this population.
Operative risk stratification in the obese female undergoing implant-based breast reconstruction.

The prevalence of obesity is growing, and breast reconstruction in the obese patient is becoming the norm rather than the exception. Our aim was to evaluate implant reconstruction outcomes in the obese female in the presence of coincident surgical risk factors and identify potential risk-reducing interventions. A review of consecutive obese women (BMI ≥ 30) who underwent mastectomy and implant breast reconstruction was performed. Patient demographics, comorbidities, oncologic treatments, and reconstructive procedures and their complications were recorded. A total of 151 women (242 breast reconstructions) were included with mean follow-up of 28 months. Average BMI was 36. Eighty percent of cases were immediate and 20% delayed. ADMs were utilized in 58% of cases. About 25% of patients had diabetes with one-third achieving perioperative glycemic control. About 18% of women were active smokers, and 33% had radiotherapy. Major and minor complications occurred in 42% and 11% of patients, respectively. About 24% of reconstructed breasts required implant removal. Obese patients with prior radiation were three times as likely to develop infection (P = 0.008) and 2.5× as likely to undergo explantation (P = 0.002). Skin flap necrosis was three times as likely in obese smokers (P = 0.01). Increased rates of wound breakdown were identified in obese patients with increasing age (P = 0.005), smoking (P = 0.0035), and radiation (P = 0.023). In the obese radiated and smoking patient subgroups, surgical modifications (use of autologous tissue, delayed breast reconstruction timing, and no ADM) were associated with reduction in the relative risk for implant complications. While obesity alone increases implant breast reconstruction complication rates, the presence of additional risk factors compounds these rates. The use of surgical modifications may reduce the occurrence of perioperative complications in the obese female with coincident surgical risk factors undergoing implant breast reconstruction.
Suicidal subtypes, stress responsivity and impulsive aggression.

Abstract While prominent models of suicidal behavior emphasize the hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, studies examining its role have yielded contradictory results. One possible explanation is that suicide attempters are a heterogeneous group and HPA axis dysregulation plays a more important role only in a subset of suicidal individuals. HPA axis dysregulation also plays a role in impulsivity and aggression. We hypothesize subgroups of attempters, based on levels of impulsivity and aggression, will differ in HPA axis dysregulation. We examined baseline cortisol, total cortisol output, and cortisol reactivity in mood disordered suicide attempters (N = 35) and non-attempters (N = 37) during the Trier Social Stress Test. Suicide attempters were divided into four subgroups: low aggression/low impulsivity, high aggression/low impulsivity, low aggression/high impulsivity, and high aggression/high impulsivity. As hypothesized, attempters and non-attempters did not differ in any cortisol measures while stress response differed based on impulsivity/aggression levels in suicide attempters, and when compared to non-attempters. Specifically, attempters with high impulsive aggression had a more pronounced cortisol response compared with other groups. This is the first study to examine the relationship between cortisol response and suicidal behavior in impulsive aggressive subgroups of attempters. These findings may help to identify a stress responsive suicidal subtype of individuals.
A Third Wave of Selective Exposure Research? The Challenges Posed by Hyperpartisan News on Social Media

Hyperpartisan news on social media presents new challenges for selective exposure theory. These challenges are substantial enough to usher in a new era—a third wave—of selective exposure research. In this essay, we trace the history of the first two waves of research in order to better understand the current situation. We then assess the implications of recent developments for selective exposure research.
The forgotten history of CSWE’s shift away from community colleges

From the 1950s to mid-1970s social work educators in the United States considered developing a multi-level continuum of social work education including associate degrees. The Council on Social Work...
Changing incidence of myeloproliferative neoplasms: trends and subgroup risk profiles in the USA, 1973-2011.

Recent diagnostic and cancer reporting changes influencing myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) encourage the assessment of trends and examination of the recently identified MPN subtypes: polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and primary myelofibrosis (PMF), across the age continuum by race and ethnicity. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data provided MPN incidence data since 1973 and MPN subtype data since 2001. Joinpoint regression estimated annual percent changes. Poisson regression estimated risk ratios. The 2005 JAK2 V617F discovery and the 2008 WHO diagnostic guideline for the JAK2 V617F mutation coincide with a 31 % increase in ET and a 21 % decrease in PV incidence rates. We found that younger women had a 13–33 % higher ET risk and that women under the age of 34 had a 58 % higher PMF risk, relative to men. Blacks, aged 35–49 with a higher ET risk, also had a 69 % higher PMF risk relative to whites. Demographic characteristic of ET and PMF patients may be useful for improving risk prediction and informing clinical screening and treatment strategies. Changing guidelines, new discoveries, and in-depth analysis of a large population-based study have implications for accurately identifying incident cases of MPNs, MPN subgroups, and health resource planning.
DECOMPENSATED HEART FAILURE DUE TO NEW DIAGNOSIS OF WPW IN AN ELDERLY WOMAN

We report a case of decompensated heart failure due to a new diagnosis of dual pathway WPW-AVRT tachycardia. An 87-year-old female with hypertension presented with one week of dyspnea and fatigue. Her ECG showed AVRT with a rate in the 220s. She was in cardiogenic shock with a blood pressure of 64/
A 15-Year Trend Study of Internationally Educated Nurses' NCLEX-RN Performance.

AIM The aim of the study was to describe trends in internationally educated nurses' (IEN) National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurses (NCLEX®-RN) performance from 2003 to 2017 and to determine the odds of passing the exam based on country of nursing education. BACKGROUND IEN comprise 5.6 percent of US nurses; more than half come from the Philippines. There is a lack of research on IEN NCLEX-RN performance. METHOD Correlational research was used to determine the performance and likelihood of passing the NCLEX-RN based on country of nursing education using secondary data analysis. Odds ratios were estimated to express the odds of passing. RESULTS IEN NCLEX-RN applications and pass rates are decreasing. The odds of passing the NCLEX-RN among Philippine-educated nurses are lower compared to all other IEN. The odds of passing the Canadian NCLEX-RN are higher for all IEN. CONCLUSION The low NCLEX-RN pass rate of IEN reflects differences in nursing education and practice across countries.
COVID-19 Stress and Depression: Examining Social Media, Traditional Media, and Interpersonal Communication

Prior research has found that infectious disease outbreaks such as that of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are associated with adverse mental health, especially among individuals with more expos...
Reducing Emergency Department Visits Among Patients With Diabetes by Embedding Clinical Pharmacists in the Primary Care Teams.

Author(s): Moreno, Gerardo; Fu, Jeffery Y; Chon, Janet S; Bell, Douglas S; Grotts, Jonathan; Tseng, Chi-Hong; Maranon, Richard; Skootsky, Samuel S; Mangione, Carol M | Abstract: BackgroundPharmacists are effective at improving control of cardiovascular risk factors, but it less clear whether these improvements translate into less emergency department (ED) use and fewer hospitalizations. The UCMyRx program embed pharmacists in primary care.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine if the integration of pharmacists into primary care was associated with lower ED and hospital use for patients with diabetes.DesignThis was a quasi-experimental study with a comparator group.SubjectsThe analytic sample included patients with diabetes with uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors (A1C g9%, blood pressure g140/90 mm Hg, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol g130 mg/dL) who had 1 or more visits in either a UCMyRx (648 patients, 14 practices) or usual care practice (1944 patients, 14 practices).MeasuresOur outcomes were ED and hospitalization rates as measured before and after the consultations between UCMyRx and usual care. Our predictor variable was the pharmacist consultation. Poisson generalized estimating equations model was used to estimate the adjusted predicted change in utilization before and after the pharmacist consultation. The Average Treatment Effect on the Treated was estimated.ResultsIn models adjusted, the adjusted mean predicted number of emergency department visits/month during the year before the consultation was 0.09 among UCMyRx patients. During the year after initiating the care with the pharmacists, this rate decreased to an adjusted mean monthly rate of 0.07, with an Average Treatment Effect on the Treated=0.021 (P=0.035), a predicted reduction of 21% in emergency department visits associated with the clinical pharmacist consults. There was a nonsignificant predicted 3.2% reduction in hospitalizations over time for patients in the UCMyRx program.ConclusionClinical pharmacists are an important addition to clinical care teams in primary care practices and significantly decreased utilization of the ED among patients with poorly controlled diabetes.
Design, synthesis, and properties of a six-membered oligofuran macrocycle

Herein, we present the synthesis and properties of an ester-functionalized macrocyclic sexifuran (C6FE). This molecule was prepared in a single step from a furan-3-carboxylate dimer using a commercially available palladium catalyst (SPhos-Pd-G3) and isolated in 34% yield. DFT calculations predict the macrocyclic ring is planar, with minimal ring strain. The macrocycle is partially crystalline, as evidenced by powder X-ray diffraction patterns. Furthermore, the solid-state organization can be altered by modification of the ester side-chain. C6FE can also undergo two electron oxidation and reduction in solution as evidenced by cyclic voltammetry. Quantum chemical investigations revealed how aromaticity along the entire sexifuran macrocycle may play a role in the reversible electrochemistry. Overall, we anticipate that the synthetic approach detailed in this report can serve as a foundation to construct new furan-based conjugated macrocycles.
Insurantialization and the moral economy of ex ante risk management in the Caribbean

This paper unpacks the emergence of pro-poor insurance-based climate change adaptation initiatives within development and disaster management agencies. It details how the equation between insurance...
Comparing Preventable Acute Care Use of Rural Versus Urban Americans: an Observational Study of National Rates During 2008–2017

Rural Americans have less access to care than urban Americans. Preventable acute care use is a marker of unmet ambulatory healthcare needs, but little is known about how such utilization has differed between rural and urban areas over time. Compare preventable emergency department (ED) visit and hospitalization rates among rural versus urban residents over the past decade. Observational study using a validated algorithm to compute age-sex-adjusted rates per 100,000 individuals of preventable ED visits and hospitalizations. Differences in overall, annual, and condition-specific rates for rural versus urban residents were assessed and linear regression was used to assess 10-year trends. Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, National Inpatient Sample, and US Census, 2008–2017. US adults, an annual average of 241.3 million individuals. Preventable ED visits and hospitalizations. Compared to urban residents, rural residents had 45% higher rates of preventable ED visits in 2008 (3003 vs. 2070 per 100,000, adjusted difference [AD]: 933; 95% CI: 928–938) and 44% higher rates of preventable ED visits in 2017 (3911 vs. 2708 per 100,000, AD: 1202; 95% CI: 1196–1208). Rural residents had 26% higher rates of preventable hospitalizations in 2008 (2104 vs. 1666 per 100,000, AD: 439; 95% CI: 434–443) and 13% higher rates in 2017 (1634 vs. 1440 per 100,000, AD: 194; 95% CI: 190–199). Preventable ED visits increased more in absolute terms in rural versus urban residents, but the percentage increase was similar (30% vs. 31%) because rural residents started at a higher baseline. Preventable hospitalizations decreased at a faster rate (22% vs. 14%) among rural versus urban residents. Observational study; unable to infer causality. Rural disparities in acute care use are narrowing for preventable hospitalizations but have persisted for all preventable acute care use, suggesting unmet demand for high-quality ambulatory care in rural areas.
A clinical model to predict fibrosis on liver biopsy in paediatric subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children is rapidly increasing. Liver fibrosis is a poor prognostic feature that independently predicts cirrhosis. The time that intercedes the first medical encounter and biopsy is rate-limiting to multi-modal treatment. This study aimed to identify non-invasive parameters to predict advanced NAFLD and fibrosis. We conducted a single-center, retrospective 10-year analysis of 640 paediatric patients who underwent liver biopsy. 55 patients, age 3-21 years, had biopsy-confirmed NAFLD. We assessed primary outcomes, NAFLD activity score (NAS) and fibrosis scores, against non-invasive parameters by linear regression, by using binary cutoff values, and by a multivariate logistic regression fibrosis prediction model. NAS correlated with platelets and female sex. Fibrosis scores correlated with platelet counts, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and ultrasound shear wave velocity. 25-hydroxy-vitamin D and GGT differentiated mild versus moderate-to-advanced fibrosis. Our multivariate logistical regression model-based scoring system predicted F2 or higher (parameters: BMI%, vitamin D, platelets, GGT), with sensitivity and specificity of 0.83 and 0.95 (area under the ROC curve, 0.944). We identify a clinical model to identify high-risk patients for expedited biopsy. Stratifying patients to abbreviate time-to-biopsy can attenuate delays in aggressive therapy for high-risk patients.
Increased endothelial sodium channel activity by extracellular vesicles in human aortic endothelial cells: Putative role of MLP1 and bioactive lipids

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain biological molecules and are secreted by cells into the extracellular milieu. The endothelial sodium channel (EnNaC) plays an important role in modulating endot...
Magnetic properties in an ash flow tuff with continuous grain size variation: a natural reference for magnetic particle granulometry

The Tiva Canyon Tuff contains dispersed nanoscale Fe-Ti-oxide grains with a narrow magnetic grain size distribution, making it an ideal material in which to identify and study grain-size-sensitive magnetic behavior in rocks. A detailed magnetic characterization was performed on samples from the basal 5 m of the tuff. The magnetic materials in this basal section consist primarily of (low-impurity) magnetite in the form of elongated submicron grains exsolved from volcanic glass. Magnetic properties studied include bulk magnetic susceptibility, frequency-dependent and temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility, anhysteretic remanence acquisition, and hysteresis properties. The combined data constitute a distinct magnetic signature at each stratigraphic level in the section corresponding to different grain size distributions. The inferred magnetic domain state changes progressively upward from superparamagnetic grains near the base to particles with pseudo-single-domain or metastable single-domain characteristics near the top of the sampled section. Direct observations of magnetic grain size confirm that distinct transitions in room temperature magnetic susceptibility and remanence probably denote the limits of stable single-domain behavior in the section. These results provide a unique example of grain-size-dependent magnetic properties in noninteracting particle assemblages over three decades of grain size, including close approximations of ideal Stoner-Wohlfarth assemblages, and may be considered a useful reference for future rock magnetic studies involving grain-size-sensitive properties.
Gastrointestinal absorption of lead in chicks: involvement of the cholecalciferol endocrine system.

The role of dietary calcium and phosphorus in modifying the intestinal absorption of lead and also the effect of lead ingestion on the metabolism of cholecalciferol were studied in chicks. The efficiency of absorption of /sup 203/Pb and /sup 47/Ca was increased when the animals were fed a low calcium diet and treated with cholecalciferol. The synthesis of the vitamin D-induced calcium-binding protein (CaBP) was correspondingly increased. When the chicks were depleted of vitamin D and repleted with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)/sub 2/D/sub 3/) as their only source of the vitamin, the absorption of both /sup 47/Ca and /sup 203/Pb was unaffected by dietary calcium levels, and no change in CaBP levels occurred. Low dietary intake of phosphorus resulted in an increase in /sup 47/Ca and /sup 203/Pb absorption and in CaBP synthesis when the animals were treated with cholecalciferol. However, when the birds were repleted with 1,25(OH)/sub 2/D/sub 3/, the intestinal absorption of /sup 47/Ca and of /sup 203/Pb was increased, as well as the intestinal CaBP levels. Intracardial injection of increasing doses of 1,25(OH)/sub 2/D/sub 3/ to rachitic chicks resulted in a concomitant increase in /sup 203/Pb absorption in a manner that correlated with the degree of synthesis of CaBP.more » Ingestion of lead by the chicks was found to impair growth and renal production of 1,25(OH)/sub 2/D/sub 3/, resulting in lowered circulating and intestinal content of the hydroxylated metabolites of cholecalciferol.« less
Forensic treatment in the United States: a survey of selected forensic hospitals. Introduction

A recent directory of facilities providing treatment for mentally disordered offenders in the United States listed 189 different agencies that provide services to adult and/or juvenile offenders (Directory of Programs and Facilities, 1986). When one considers that these 189 agencies are distributed across 50 different states, plus the federal system, it is easy to understand that describing “forensic treatment” in the United States is no easy task. Virtually all of the agencies providing treatment to forensic patients are publicly operated hospitals, clinics, or detention facilities of one type or another, Thus, potentially different laws, organizational structures, economic support systems, theoretical preferences, administrative policies, and attitudes toward “forensic patients” may be encountered each time one of the political boundaries is crossed. Forensic programs may vary on the most fundamental of issues, including what range of services will be provided (e.g., pre-trial evaluations versus mental health treatment) or the legal identification of prescribed treatment populations (e.g., eligible treatment groups). Some states, such as Michigan, Virginia, and Alabama provide extensive pre-trial evaluation services for the state’s courts, devoting facilities and staff resources for defendants to be examined regarding competency to stand trial, mental state at the time of offense (insanity defense evaluations), pre-sentencing assessments, and so forth. Other states, such as Florida, make no provisions for such services through the public mental health departments and all pre-trial evaluations are conducted by private mental health practitioners. Some states, including Massachusetts and Florida, identify special offender groups as target treatment populations (e.g., mentally disordered sex offenders), while such legal classifications are nonexistent in many other states’ statutes. In some states, mental health services are provided to offender populations by more than one state agency, including a mental health department or a department of corrections; in other states, convicted offenders may receive treatment services either by transfer to the Department of Mental Health or by mental health department staff who physically reside in satellite units located on the grounds of correctional institutions. Since the highly publicized case of John Hinckley, who attempted to assassi-
The Role of Complement in B Cell Activation and Tolerance

It is becoming well accepted that innate immunity serves as a natural adjuvant in enhancing and directing the adaptive immune response. In this review, I have discussed how the complement system, a major mediator of innate immunity, links the two systems. The recent availability of knockout mice bearing selective deficiencies in the critical complement proteins and receptors has allowed formal demonstration of the importance of complement in enhancement of humoral immunity. Characterization of the mice has also uncovered mechanisms for maintaining survival of activated B cells within the lymphoid compartment. For example, co-ligation of the CD21/CD19/Tapa-1 receptor with the BCR not only reduces the threshold for B cell follicular survival but provides a unique signal for survival in the germinal centers. In addition complement receptors are critical for localization of antigen and C3d ligand to FDCs for maintenance of long-term B cell memory. A surprise that has come from analysis of the deficient mice is that complement is also important in negative selection of B lymphocytes. This observation provides new insight to a long-standing enigma that the major predisposing factor in lupus is deficiency in complement C1q or C4. The seeming contradiction of dual role for complement in both B cell activation and tolerance is reconciled by the hypothesis that natural IgM provides a mechanism to selectively identify self-antigens that are highly conserved and cross-react with microbial ones such as DNA and nuclear proteins. Thus, the importance of complement in tolerance to self-antigens is restricted to those self-antigens that are evolutionary conserved, and they are identified by natural antibody. The future should hold further surprises as to the intricate interactions between the complement system and acquired immunity.
Character formation and social structure in a Jamaican community.

(1955). Character Formation and Social Structure in a Jamaican Community. Psychiatry: Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 275-296.
Advances in stroke prevention

Stroke remains to be a leading cause of disability. However, optimal strategies can prevent up to 80% of strokes. A large body of evidence supports many strategies for primary and secondary prevention of stroke. The purpose of this paper is to highlight recent major advances for management of modifiable medical and behavioral risk factors of stroke. Specific studies are highlighted, including those related to atrial fibrillation (AF), hypertension, revascularization, hyperlipidemia, antiplatelets, smoking, diet, and physical activity. Effective strategies include the use of novel oral anticoagulants for AF, antiplatelet therapy, and intensive lowering of atherosclerosis risk factors.
Human Equity? Regulating the New Income Share Agreements

A controversial new financing phenomenon has recently emerged. New “income share agreements” (“ISAs”) enable an individual to raise funds by pledging a percentage of her future earnings to investors for a certain number of years. These contracts, which have been offered by entities such as Fantex, Upstart, Pave, and Lumni, raise important questions for the legal system: Are they a form of modern-day indentured servitude or an innovative breakthrough in human financing? How should they be treated under the law?This Article comprehensively addresses the public policy and legal issues raised by ISAs and articulates an analytical approach to evaluating and regulating these agreements. While there has been a nascent movement in favor of enacting overarching regulatory schemes to govern these new arrangements, this Article suggests that we should resist that trend because a unified approach is likely to create more problems than it solves. Instead, we suggest the adoption of a case-by-case approach that examines each ISA’s distinctive economics and draws analogies to more familiar financial arrangements in designing its legal treatment. Such case-by-case regulation is likely to generate rules that are more equitable and efficient. We offer a multifactor framework for implementing this “regulation by analogy.”
The Cetacean Ear: Form, Frequency, and Evolution

Cetaceans evolved from mesonychid condylarths, a cat-like, hooved carnivore, during the mammalian radiation, an explosive period of species development (Barnes et al., 1985; Lipps and Mitchell, 1976). In the Eocene, an amphibious condylarth entered the shallows of the warm, teeming Tethys Sea and stayed. This ancestral condylarth was equipped with a conventional land mammal ear. In the intervening 50 to 60 million years, auditory evolution paralleled that of the rest of the creature and the ancestral terrestrial ear underwent extraordinary modifications. As cetaceans developed into full, obligate aquatic mammals, unable to move, reproduce, or feed on land, their ears changed into highly effective transducers of water-borne sound. In fact, modern cetacean auditory systems are sufficiently specialized that they may no longer be able to encode air-borne signals.
Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy of Small Magnetic Tunnel Junctions With Interface Anisotropy

Magnetic anisotropy at the interface between a thin metallic ferromagnet and an insulating oxide layer has been used to make devices with voltage-controlled switching [1-4]. Sharp switching thresholds have previously been reported for devices below 100 nm [3], but questions remain about the size dependence of the switching thresholds and the stability with respect to thermal fluctuations. Here a series of CoFeB (1.5 nm)/MgO (2 nm)/CoFeB (0.8 nm) magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with interface anisotropy were characterized using conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) to measure their resistance as a function of the perpendicular magnetic field and bias voltage. With a lithographically patterned MTJ, there are two new features, relative to prior work applying this technique to nanoparticles [5]. First, both magnetic layers have a known crystallo-graphic orientation, which in this case leads to perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and increased squareness in the hysteresis loops. Second, features varying over a wide range of device diameters but the same tunnel barrier thickness have been prepared, enabling the systematic determination of size-dependent properties.
Evolutionary computation in civil engineering: research frontiers

This paper provides an overview of the state of the art of evolutionary computation in civil engineering. First, it discusses the fundamentals of evolutionary computation in the context of a unified approach recently proposed by one of the authors. Second, it discusses the main research directions, including morphogenic design and co-evolutionary design. Next, it provides a description of the emerging evolutionary computation analysis, including an analysis in the context of complex adaptive systems and one based on the visualization of the gene pool and of the fitness function. Finally, the paper contains the conclusions and recommendations for the further research.
Effect of Ti-catalyst content on the reversible hydrogen storage properties of the sodium alanates

Abstract The reversible hydrogen storage properties of Ti-catalyzed NaAlH 4 (and associated Na 3 AlH 6 ) were studied as a function of Ti-content using a dry preparation technique consisting of the ball-milling of NaAlH 4 +TiCl 3 mixtures (0–9 mol.% TiCl 3 ). This process is believed to result in the in situ solid-state introduction of metallic Ti via the reduction of the TiCl 3 by the Na-component of NaAlH 4 (to form NaCl). Properties studied were hydriding and dehydriding rates and reversible gravimetric H-capacity as a function of starting TiCl 3 content. Detailed isothermal kinetic studies were done over a wide temperature range (20–225 °C) and treated by Arrhenius analysis. All kinetics were found to follow the Arrhenius equation and the changes of thermal activation energies and rate constants with TiCl 3 -content were observed that may give valuable insights into the as-yet unknown mechanistic factors that control H 2 desorption and absorption kinetics. Ti increases both dehydriding and hydriding kinetics (and associated practical engineering rates), but at the substantial expense of H-capacity. The finite room temperature decomposition of the catalyzed NaAlH 4 phase was reconfirmed and rates better quantified.
A Sulfido-Bridged Diiron(II) Compound and Its Reactions with Nitrogenase-Relevant Substrates

The active site iron−molybdenum cofactor of nitrogenase has sulfide-bridged pairs of redox-active, trigonal pyramidal iron atoms that are postulated to be the site of N2 transformation. A synthetic compound is described in which two three-coordinate iron(II) ions are bridged similarly by sulfide. The compound binds nitrogen donors to become trigonal pyramidal and cleaves the N−N bond of phenylhydrazine with oxidation of iron(II) to iron(III).
Research developments and progress during the nineties

I summarize below the research contributions from my research group from 1990 to the end of the year 2000.
Hemolytic Anemia Following Prosthetic Valve Replacement

Ten patients with marked hemolytic anemia secondary to prosthetic cardiac valve replacement are presented. Although the etiology of this disorder is not understood, available evidence supports the concept of blood destruction secondary to turbulence around valves as the primary factor. These studies illustrate the technical difficulties associated with reoperation and the disappointing results which often follow. Emphasis is placed on the role of iron replacement and folic acid therapy in association with moderate reduction in exercise. This regimen has produced gratifying results in the management of these patients.
A new nucleide: 115 sec 46K☆

Abstract A new nucleide, 115 sec 46 K, produced by 48 Ca( d ,α), has been discovered and the scheme of 46 Ca levels populated by its β and λ decay constructed.
Sequential allocation to two treatments that converges to an α-superior treatment

Two treatments are being compared as to which has the higher mean response. The response for the 2 treatments is assumed to be normally distributed, with unknown means. Observations are being allocated sequentially to the different treatments, the purpose is to locate the superior treatment, the one with the higher mean response. We are going to find a treatment for which we have 1—α confidence of its being superior, we call it then an α-superior treatment, Allocation schemes are discussed for which there will be a convergence on an α-superior treatment, while heuristically trying to reduce the number of allocations to the inferior treatment. No stopping rule is applied and there is no point at which the experiment is terminated and the use begins, the scheme assures that the allocation will eventually converge on one treatment.
GABAA and dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens shell differentially influence performance of a water-reinforced progressive ratio task

Several authors have shown that injections of the GABA(A) agonist muscimol into the medial shell region of the nucleus accumbens (AcbSh) result in large increases in food, but not water, intake. In previous studies we demonstrated that intra-AcbSh injections of either muscimol or of the indirect dopamine agonist amphetamine increase response output on a food-reinforced progressive ratio schedule. In the current experiment we extended these observations by examining the effects of muscimol and amphetamine injections on the performance of a water-reinforced progressive ratio task in mildly deprived animals. We found that muscimol did not affect the number of responses made in the water-reinforced task, even though a marked increase in responding was observed after amphetamine. Muscimol did, however, significantly increase food intake in the same animals. The results suggest that the enhancing effects of intra-AcbSh muscimol differ from those of amphetamine in that they are selective for food-reinforced behaviors.
The Relationship between Academic Major and Environmentalism among College Students: Is It Mediated by the Effects of Gender, Political Ideology and Financial Security?.

Several studies have found a relationship between college students’ academic majors and their environmental attitudes and behaviors. Results from this study of incoming first-year students at a medium-sized public university suggest that students majoring in different programs of study were likely to have different environmental attitudes and behaviors. There were also differences in the proportions of women, political liberals, and financially secure students in each of the different majors. When controlling for the effects of gender, political ideology, and financial security, incoming business majors scored lower on two of the four measures of environmentalism than incoming students in the other majors. The findings in this study suggest that incoming students choose majors that are consistent with their worldviews.
Actin Cytoskeleton Rest Stops Regulate Anterograde Traffic of Connexin 43 Vesicles to the Plasma Membrane

Rationale:The intracellular trafficking of connexin 43 (Cx43) hemichannels presents opportunities to regulate cardiomyocyte gap junction coupling. Although it is known that Cx43 hemichannels are transported along microtubules to the plasma membrane, the role of actin in Cx43 forward trafficking is unknown. Objective:We explored whether the actin cytoskeleton is involved in Cx43 forward trafficking. Methods and Results:High-resolution imaging reveals that Cx43 vesicles colocalize with nonsarcomeric actin in adult cardiomyocytes. Live-cell fluorescence imaging reveals Cx43 vesicles as stationary or traveling slowly (average speed 0.09 μm/s) when associated with actin. At any time, the majority (81.7%) of vesicles travel at subkinesin rates, suggesting that actin is important for Cx43 transport. Using Cx43 containing a hemagglutinin tag in the second extracellular loop, we developed an assay to detect transport of de novo Cx43 hemichannels to the plasma membrane after release from Brefeldin A-induced endopla...
Values Related To Family Travel Time

The amount of time families spend in travel for specified activities, and factors affecting travel time, were studied. Travel time data were collected from a strat ified sample of 2,100 two-parent, two-child families from selected communities in 11 states. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance and analysis of variance models. The results were presented in a framework of exchange theory and values theory using Robin Williams' value schema. Families spent the most time for social and recreational travel, followed by travel for paid work, shopping, school, and chauffeuring. Of all family members, husbands spent the most time in travel, the majority of which was for paid work. Wives spent the largest amount of time traveling for shopping and social and recreational activities. Season of the year, rural/urban residence, employment and age of the wife, education of the husband, number of vehicles, and state of residence significantly affected the time spent in some of the travel activities and for certain family members. Education of the wife, age of the husband, and the income of the family were not significant sources of variation in the time spent for travel.
Understanding Older Men and Their Male Friendships: A Comparison of African American and White Men

Friendships can lead to longer and healthier lives. Yet little is known about how older men, particularly African American men, define and carry out their friendships with other men. This article presents the findings from qualitative interviews with 23 African American and 23 White older men who were part of a larger study. The subjects were asked whether friendships are important; if they have enough male friends; how they define, carry out, and maintain their friendships; and the nature of their fathers' friendships. Comparisons are drawn between the African American and White men. Implications for social work practice are included.
"Where are the field investigations?" An investigation of the (implied) paradox of learning about environmental education in a virtual classroom

There is an inherent paradox in the tenets of environmental education and the constructs of virtual classrooms. Is there a role for distance education in environmental education? Does learning about environmental education in an online course context contradict the basic principles of environmental education? This article discusses a collaborative inquiry research study that investigated student learning in an online environmental education course.
Continuous administration of 5-hydroxytryptamine alters cellular immunity in chickens

Abstract 1. 5-Hydroxytryptamine administered continuously through osmotic pumps altered the PHA wattle response and in vitro leukocyte capillary tube migration in UNH 105 chickens. 2. Administration of 100 ng/hr 5-hydroxytryptamine for 48 hr significantly suppressed the PHA wattle response. 3. In vitro leukocyte migration was significantly enhanced by 72 hr exposure to 5-hydroxytryptamine at a dose of 100 ng/hr.
An extremely simple procedure for the analysis of circadian and estrous periodicity

A method for the analysis of circadian and estrous periodicity based on immediate visual inspection of the data is described. The method involves the calculation of two statistics, P (the period of the oscillations in the data) and h (an index of homogeneity of P). The sampling distribution of both statistics is examined and critical values for significance tests are presented. A computational algorithm for use with large data sets is also presented. The method is intended to be not a substitute for traditional methods of time series analysis but an alternative strategy to be used in cases where a rapid and simple determination of periodicity is desired.
WHO IS FOREST DEPENDENT? CAPTURING LOCAL VARIATION IN FOREST-PRODUCT SALE, EASTERN HONDURAS

How researchers describe groups living within or near the world's tropical rain forests has important implications for how and why these groups are targeted for assistance by conservation and development organizations. This article explores how data about market behavior can be used to assess one aspect of forest peoples’ livelihoods: their “dependence” on forest resources as a source of market income. With the intent of revealing the importance of methodology to how we describe forest peoples’ livelihoods, I draw from a multiyear survey of market activity among the Tawahka Sumu of Honduras and distinguish nested measures of the Tawahkas’ engagement in forest-product sale. Results indicate that whether or not the Tawahka —or any forest group — can be considered financially “dependent” on forest resources depends on the spatial and temporal scales at which data are aggregated. As a group, the Tawahka earned 18 percent of total market income from forest-product sale, but their group profile masked a high de...
On a variational property of helicity in incompressible flows

Abstract The variational principle of minimum entropy production (Glansdorff and Prigogine) provides the basis for this note. In the case of incompressible isothermal flows, the second variation of the functional is examined. The equations of motion are satisfied by the velocity field which maximizes the flux of relative helicity, under certain variational constraints.
The Nigerian Communications Commission and the Digital Bridge Institute: First South–South Zonal Advanced Digital Appreciation Workshop For Tertiary Institutions

Purpose – The article aims to focus on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Abuja, first zonal workshop on Advanced Digital Appreciation for lecturers from Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in Nigeria. A total of 89 lecturers from nine tertiary institutions from the south–south zone of Nigeria participated in the workshop. The workshop took place in October 2006.Design/methodology/approach – The paper gives an outline of the event.Findings – The broad business and purpose of the NCC as derived from the enabling Decree 75 of 1992 is to facilitate private sector participation in telecommunications service delivery, coordinate and regulate the activities of all the operators to ensure consistency in availability and survey of service delivery and fair pricing.The DBI is an international Centre for Communications Studies which is affiliated with the NCC. The workshop comprised five modules: Introduction to Computers, Introduction to Microsoft Word...