cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disinvestment by Multinational Corporations

What role did foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) play in South Africa’s transition to democratic rule? At best, corporate codes of conduct, adopted by foreign MNCs as an alternative to sanctions, provided comfort for only a few South Africans, mostly company employees. Only disinvestment from critical industries enabled MNCs to be an effective catalyst for socio-political transformation.
Spinal Cord Stimulation for Treatment of Neuropathic Pain Associated With Erythromelalgia.

Objective Erythromelalgia is a rare disorder associated with neuropathic pain that commonly affects the lower extremities. This pain is often refractory to multimodal treatment. Both pharmacologic management and interventional anesthetic blocks have been used with varying and often limited success. To date, little experience has been gained with the use of spinal cord stimulation in treating pain associated with erythromelalgia. Case Report We present a case of successful treatment of pain secondary to erythromelalgia with a spinal cord stimulator in an 80-year-old woman. This patient had severe pain and debility secondary to erythromelalgia, having undergone trials of multiple medical therapies before presenting to our clinic. Dual-lead percutaneous spinal cord stimulation was successfully implanted without complication, leading to excellent pain control, now 18 months postimplant. Conclusions Spinal cord stimulation may be a promising treatment of neuropathic pain associated with erythromelalgia.
Black Male Bodies and the State, State Laws, and Law Enforcement: An Analysis Using Critical Race Theory

Using the ideological perspective of Critical Race Theory, I will attempt to analyze an explain the root of white supremacy in the state, state laws and law enforcement and how it targets black bodies, males in particular.Throughout history black and brown bodies, males in particular, have been seen as a threat to the white supremacist ideology. This ideology is embedded in the belief that white people are inherently superior to people of all other minority groups, such as black people, and believe that they are the dominant group in any society. It is this belief that has been adapted by leaders in the state, law enforcement and state law that continues to oppress and target black and brown bodies. We can also see the manifestations of this in the incarceration trends in America, the racial disparities and mass incarceration, drug sentencing where race plays a major role in how you will be convicted, the factors that contribute to these disparities and also the effect that it has on the black family and young black children. In order to further analyze this phenomenon, I will use the ideological perspective of critical race theory. This theory attempts to explain the root and expansion of racism throughout society and its primary institutions.
Leveraging digital communities of practice: How asynchronous digital collaboration afforded a complex reading/writing dialogue for secondary school students

This dissertation examines a case study of a research unit taught to secondary school students with the inclusion of an asynchronous digital collaboration with college students. Over consecutive school years, two classes of high school seniors and two classes of college students, despite being geographically separated by more than 90 miles, worked together in multiple reading and writing exchanges within an online community as they read a primary text and as the secondary school students wrote research papers. This study seeks to understand the effects of this unit on the secondary school students’ thinking, reading, and writing skills, focusing specifically on the inclusion of an authentic, responsive audience and the affordances of pedagogically-driven technology integration in the classroom.
A modified compressed sampling matching pursuit algorithm on redundant dictionary and its application to sparse channel estimation on OFDM

This paper proposes a modified compressed sensing algorithm for sparse multipath channel estimation in wideband OFDM systems. By using a virtual channel representation, the sparse nature of a multipath channel is revealed and exploited. Unlike other proposed sparse channel estimation schemes, it is noted that a truly sparse assumption on the channel impulse response (CIR) must factor in the leakage of energy of each multipath component resulting from bandpass filtering and the resulting limited bandwidth. We propose to represent the CIR as a strongly correlated redundant frame so that the representation is truly sparse. However, the introduction of correlated frames complicates the canonical compressed sensing problem. A model-based modification to CoSaMP [1] algorithm is thus proposed for recovering the CIR. Simulation results are presented indicating a significant improvement over straightforward application of canonical compressed sensing techniques.
Preventing opioid misuse with prescription drug monitoring programs: a framework for evaluating the success of state public health laws

The United States is in the midst of a prescription opioid overdose and misuse epidemic. Although many factors have contributed to the escalation of prescription painkiller misuse, it parallels increases in the supply and prescribing of opioids. Prominent state-level regulatory interventions, such as the establishment of prescription drug monitoring programs ("PDMPs"), recognize prescribers as opioid gatekeepers. Prescribers, who are uniquely situated to distinguish between appropriate use and misuse of opioids, are a natural target for regulation. PDMPs also target patients who seek to obtain high volumes of prescription opioids for illicit purposes. PDMP policies are widespread but heterogeneous, largely uninformed by robust evidence or a systematic assessment of best practices. Whether these programs successfully reduce opioid misuse and overdoses remains unclear. As well, PDMPs present a number of legal and ethical challenges that, along with intervention effectiveness, warrant careful policymaker consideration going forward. This Article articulates and synthesizes for the first time key criteria intended to assist state regulators in dynamically evaluating and justifying PDMPs and other public health laws. The criteria focus on the legality of the policy, approaches to measure its effectiveness, and normative considerations that should be factored into good laws. Such a framework is crucial for policymakers given the complexities and magnitude of this public health challenge, the rich arsenal of policy options from which to choose, and the slow and uncertain progress in combating prescription painkiller misuse. Concluding recommendations include implementing PDMPs with the following features: timely and complete data, strong incentives for prescriber participation, user guidelines and education, integration into clinical work flow, and robust confidentiality and privacy protections. Ongoing evaluation of programs to identify features appropriate for retention and replication is also crucial if PDMPs are to fulfill their potential to curb prescription opioid overdose and misuse. Language: en
Social and Community Contexts

Social context is increasingly thought to be as important as individual characteristics in determining mental health outcomes. Therefore, mental health service providers, researchers, and policy-makers need to give equal consideration to women’s social contexts in order to deliver effective services. Such services are especially important for women, whose mental health is influenced by their vulnerable social status, unique social roles, and overrepresentation among the urban poor. This chapter will describe the use of social epidemiology in studying the contexts of women’s mental health, the effect of social contexts on women’s mental health, and implications for women’s mental health prevention and treatment programs at the community level.
The Writing Process for New Lawyers: Getting it Written and Right

The legal-writing process is how lawyers and law students write, from the time they receive an assignment until they submit their final product. This article explores that process from a new lawyer's perspective.
Platelets stored at 4°C contribute to superior clot properties compared to current standard-of-care through fibrin-crosslinking.

Summary Currently, platelets for transfusion are stored at room temperature (RT) for 5–7 days with gentle agitation, but this is less than optimal because of loss of function and risk of bacterial contamination. We have previously demonstrated that cold (4°C) storage is an attractive alternative because it preserves platelet metabolic reserves, in vitro responses to agonists of activation, aggregation and physiological inhibitors, as well as adhesion to thrombogenic surfaces better than RT storage. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration clarified that apheresis platelets stored at 4°C for up to 72 h may be used for treating active haemorrhage. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that cold-stored platelets contribute to generating clots with superior mechanical properties compared to RT-stored platelets. Rheological studies demonstrate that the clots formed from platelets stored at 4°C for 5 days are significantly stiffer (higher elastic modulus) and stronger (higher critical stress) than those formed from RT-stored platelets. Morphological analysis shows that clot fibres from cold-stored platelets were denser, thinner, straighter and with more branch points or crosslinks than those from RT-stored platelets. Our results also show that the enhanced clot strength and packed structure is due to cold-induced plasma factor XIII binding to platelet surfaces, and the consequent increase in crosslinking.
Piston: Uncooperative Remote Runtime Patching

While software is now being developed with more sophisticated tools, its complexity has increased considerably, and, as a consequence new vulnerabilities are discovered every day. To address the constant flow of vulnerabilities being identified, patches are frequently being pushed to consumers. Patches, however, often involve having to shutdown services in order to be applied, which can result in expensive downtime. To solve this problem, various hot-patching systems have been devised to patch systems without the need for restarting. These systems often require either the cooperation of the system or the process they are patching. This still leaves out a considerable amount of systems, most notably embedded devices, which remain unable to be hot-patched. We present Piston, a generic system for the remote hot-patching of uninterruptible software that operates without the system's cooperation. Piston achieves this by using an exploit to take control of the remote process and modify its code on-the-fly. Piston works directly on binary code and is capable of automatically counter-acting the destructive effects on memory that might be the result of the exploitation.
StreetTraffic: a library for traffic flow data collection and analysis

This extended abstract introduces StreetTraffic, an open-sourced server library that collects and analyzes traffic flow data. By utilizing REST APIs provided by HERE.com, StreetTraffic allows the users to crawl traffic flow data of interested regions or routes. Then, the users could see the visualized traffic flow history of the crawled data, empowering them to understand the historical traffic pattern of their interested routes, which could be valuable to commuters or someone who wants to optimize a trip. The library is currently hosted at Github (https://github.com/streettraffic/streettraffic), along with its documentation and tutorials.
Development of a Neutron Radiography Simulation Model

Measurement models of NDE techniques have been developed with the purpose of proving the capabilities of NDE techniques for finding flaws. The models take NDE parameters such as ultrasonic frequency, probe diameter, and angle of incidence, and predict the response from the flaw. Models are also a part of quantitative NDE, i.e., the ability to size and characterize flaws and or materials.
Where is Information Quality in Information Systems Education

Improving the Information Quality (IQ) skill level of Information Systems (IS) professionals has become critical as organizational success increasingly depends on the availability of high-quality information. Using an IQ framework from the literature on data and information quality and recent IS curriculum models, the authors identify gaps between the information quality skills needed by organizations and the skills taught by universities to future IS professionals. The authors suggest improvements to the IS curriculum models to close this gap and thus to improve information quality teaching and learning.
The proteome: Analysis and utility

In this manuscript we have shown that in the emerging post-genomic era, technologies that can quantitatively, globally, and automatically measure gene expression at the protein level are essential for the comprehensive analysis of biological processes and systems. We have furthermore documented the limitations of the current standard method for large-scale protein analysis with respect to the analysis of low abundance proteins and proposed a new approach to quantitative proteome analysis. We anticipate that the new ICAT strategy will provide broadly applicable means for the quantitative cataloging and comparison of expressed proteins in a variety of normal, developmental, and disease states.
Early Involvement of the Child Protection Team in the Care of Injured Infants in a Pediatric Emergency Department

Abstract Background Physical abuse is a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Early detection in the emergency department (ED) is crucial. Objective We describe the impact of a clinical pathway focused on early involvement of the child protection team (CPT) and social work (SW) team for infants presenting to a pediatric emergency department with an injury concerning for abuse. Methods The pathway lists 10 injuries associated with abuse in infants and directs consultation of the CPT and SW. It was implemented at a single site on April 1, 2014. Seasonally matched data were collected 12 months before and after implementation on all children Results Implementation of the pathway was associated with an increase in consultation of the CPT from 17% to 47% (p Conclusions These findings suggest that this clinical pathway was successful in increasing involvement of the CPT and SW teams and reducing socioeconomic disparity in the evaluation of infants with injuries concerning for abuse.
Primitive and modern swimmers solve the challenges of turning similarly to achieve high maneuverability

Animal swimmers alter trajectories - or turn - for a variety of critical life functions such as feeding, mating and avoiding predation. Yet turning represents a fundamental dilemma based in rotational dynamics: the torque powering a turn is favored by an expanded body configuration, yet minimizing the resistance to a turn (the moment of inertia) is favored by a contracted body configuration. How do animals balance these opposing demands to achieve high maneuverability? By noninvasively measuring fluid and body motions, we found that both jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) and fish (Danio rerio) initially maximized torque using previously undescribed, rapid body movements. Both species then minimized resistance to turning by bending their bodies to reduce their moment of inertia. Use of this sequential solution by such distantly related animals as an invertebrate and a vertebrate suggests strong selection for these turning dynamics that may extend to other swimmers and inform future vehicle designs.
Multitarget Stool DNA Screening in Clinical Practice: High Positive Predictive Value for Colorectal Neoplasia Regardless of Exposure to Previous Colonoscopy.

OBJECTIVES Multitarget stool DNA (MT-sDNA) testing has grown as a noninvasive screening modality for colorectal cancer (CRC), but real-world clinical data are limited in the post-FDA approval setting. The effect of previous colonoscopy on MT-sDNA performance is not known. We aimed to evaluate findings of colorectal neoplasia (CRN) at diagnostic colonoscopy in patients with positive MT-sDNA testing, stratified by patient exposure to previous colonoscopy. METHODS We identified consecutive patients completing MT-sDNA testing over a 39-month period and reviewed the records of those with positive tests for neoplastic findings at diagnostic colonoscopy. MT-sDNA test positivity rate, adherence to diagnostic colonoscopy, and the positive predictive value (PPV) of MT-sDNA for any CRN and neoplastic subtypes were calculated. RESULTS Of 16,469 MT-sDNA tests completed, testing returned positive in 2,326 (14.1%) patients. After exclusion of patients at increased risk for CRC, 1,801 patients remained, 1,558 (87%) of whom underwent diagnostic colonoscopy; 918 of 1,558 (59%) of these patients had undergone previous colonoscopy, whereas 640 (41%) had not. Any CRN was found in 1,046 of 1,558 patients (PPV = 67%). More neoplastic lesions were found in patients without previous colonoscopy (73%); however, the rates remained high among those who had undergone previous colonoscopy (63%, P < 0.0001). The large majority (79%) of patients had right-sided neoplasia. DISCUSSION MT-sDNA has a high PPV for any CRN regardless of exposure to previous colonoscopy. Right-sided CRN was found at colonoscopy in most patients with positive MT-sDNA testing, representing a potential advantage over other currently available screening modalities for CRC.
About the interplay between contact and channel resistance in MoS 2 and its impact on mobility extraction

As one of the most promising low-dimensional materials for beyond Si technology, MoS 2 has been intensely studied in recent years and its mobility has been found to span a wide range. This variation could be a result of non-ideal device fabrication processes in academia, but may as well arise from the extraction methods employed. In this article we will discuss details on how in particular the often cited field effect mobility μFE extraction can easily result in an incorrect determination of the intrinsic transport properties. In fact, both underestimation but also overestimation of mobility can occur in this way. We will discuss in simple terms how the dependence of the contact resistance on the gate voltage is responsible for this statement. Moreover, we will show for the first time an extraction of MoS 2 mobility versus carrier concentrations up to 3*10 13 cm-2, about 10 times higher than previously reported by using a thin high-k Al2O3/HfO2 stack with an EOT of ~2nm as the gate dielectric. This allowed observing for the first time the onset of surface roughness scattering in multi-layer MoS 2 transistors.
The elevational ascent and spread of exotic annual grasslands in the Great Basin, USA

Abstract In the Great Basin of the U.S., sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) and salt desert shrublands are rapidly transitioning to exotic annual grasslands, a novel and often self-reinforcing state that threatens the economic sustainability and conservation value of western grazing lands. Climate change is predicted to directly and indirectly favor annual grasses, potentially pushing annual grassland transitions into higher elevations. We used recently developed remote sensing-based rangeland vegetation data to retrospectively quantify expansion and elevational range shift of annual grassland transitions in the Great Basin from 1986–2019. During this period, we document an alarming six-fold increase in annual grassland area (to >75,000 km2) occurring at a rate of 1,950 km2 yr-1. Annual grasslands now occupy one fifth of Great Basin rangelands. This rapid expansion has been in part facilitated by a broadening of elevational range limits, with the leading edge of annual grassland transitions moving upslope at 60–110 m decade-1. Accelerated intervention is critically needed to conserve the fragile band of rangelands being compressed between annual grassland transitions at lower elevations and woodland expansion at higher elevations. Significance Exotic annual grasses became widespread throughout the western U.S. Great Basin in the last century and now rank among the most vexing challenges facing western rangelands. Once established, these invaders can transform native sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) and salt desert shrublands into virtual monocultures of highly flammable exotic annual grasses with severely diminished biological and economic value. Capitalizing on a recently developed remote sensing vegetation product providing continuous spatial and annual temporal coverage of western US rangelands, we map the expansion of exotic annual grasslands over the past three decades. Our analysis reveals the alarming pace at which native shrublands are transitioning to annual grasslands, and confirms the movement of these transitions into ever higher elevations as the climate of the western U.S. warms.
Objective screening for olfactory and gustatory dysfunction during the COVID-19 pandemic: a prospective study in healthcare workers using self-administered testing.

Abstract Background Smell and taste loss are highly prevalent symptoms in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), although few studies have employed objective measures to quantify these symptoms, especially dysgeusia. Reports of unrecognized anosmia in COVID-19 patients suggests that self-reported measures are insufficient for capturing patients with chemosensory dysfunction. Objectives The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact of recent COVID-19 infection on chemosensory function and demonstrate the use of at-home objective smell and taste testing in an at-risk population of healthcare workers. Methods Two hundred and fifty healthcare workers were screened for possible loss of smell and taste using online surveys. Self-administered smell and taste tests were mailed to respondents meeting criteria for elevated risk of infection, and one-month follow-up surveys were completed. Results Among subjects with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, 73% reported symptoms of olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction. Self-reported smell and taste loss were both strong predictors of COVID-19 positivity. Subjects with evidence of recent SARS-CoV-2 infection ( Conclusion Healthcare workers with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection had reduced olfaction and normal gustation on self-administered objective testing compared to those without infection. Rates of infection and chemosensory symptoms in our cohort of healthcare workers reflect those of the general public.
Risk stratification of indeterminate pulmonary nodules.

Purpose of review Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, with poor overall 5-year survival. Early detection and diagnosis are key to survival as demonstrated in lung cancer screening trials. However, with increasing implementation of screening guidelines and use of computed tomography, there has been a sharp rise in the incidence of indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPNs). Risk stratification of IPNs, particularly those in the intermediate-risk category, remains challenging in clinical practice. Individual risk factors, imaging characteristics, biomarkers, and prediction models are currently used to assist in risk stratifying patients, but such strategies remain suboptimal. This review focuses on established risk stratification methods, current areas of research, and future directions. Recent findings The multitude of yearly incidental and screening-detected IPNs, its management-related healthcare costs, and risk of invasive procedures provides a strong rationale for risk stratification efforts. The development of new molecular and imaging biomarkers to discriminate benign from malignant lung nodules shows great promise. Yet, risk stratification methods need integration into the diagnostic workflow and await validation in prospective, biomarker-driven clinical trials. Summary Novel biomarkers and new imaging analysis, including radiomics and deep-learning methods, have been developed to optimize the risk stratification of IPNs. While promising, additional validation and clinical studies are needed before they can be part of routine clinical practice.
Efficient algorithms for the joint replenishment problem with minimum order quantities

Abstract Suppliers often impose a minimum order quantity (MOQ) to ensure that production runs and shipping quantities of each specific item are economically viable. Additional economies of scale may arise as various items share high joint costs (e.g. the cost of an overseas container shipment) and require coordination of their replenishment policies. The buyer needs to find the joint ordering interval and replenishment policies for each of the individual items to minimize the system-wide ordering and inventory costs while satisfying the quantity restrictions. We focus on the case of constant demand without backlogging. Given a fixed joint reorder interval, we characterize the optimal inventory ordering strategy for each item, which we refer to as Multi-Replenishment (MR) inventory ordering policy, and derive a closed-form expression for the optimal average inventory costs per unit of time. In contrast to the previous literature, the MR inventory ordering policy does not follow the zero-inventory-ordering (ZIO) rule and allows for orders of different sizes over time to optimally accommodate the MOQ restriction. A numerical approach is used to determine the optimal joint reorder interval, and is later extended to account for the presence of empty replenishments. An extensive computational study shows 1) the total inventory and setup cost reduction associated with the MR inventory policies and empty replenishments; 2) the impact of various parameters on cost and policy performance; and 3) the loss associated with discretizing time at different levels of granularity (weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds) to accommodate restrictions in the timing of item deliveries.
Tobacco smoke exposure and inadequate sleep among U.S. school-aged children.

Abstract Objective/background Inadequate sleep and tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) have been separately linked to adverse childhood health consequences. Our objective was to assess the association between home TSE status and inadequate sleep among U.S. school-aged children. Methods We analyzed 2018–2019 National Survey of Children's Health data, and included 17,851 children ages 6–11 years. Children were classified into three parent-report TSE groups: (1) did not live with a smoker (no TSE at home); (2) lived with a smoker who did not smoke inside the home (thirdhand smoke (THS) exposure only); and (3) lived with a smoker who smoked inside the home (secondhand smoke (SHS) and THS exposure). Parent-report of inadequate sleep on most weeknights was defined as Results About 13% and 1% of school-aged children were exposed to home THS only and home SHS and THS, respectively; approximately 36% overall had inadequate sleep. Compared to children with no TSE at home, children who were exposed to home THS only had higher odds of inadequate sleep (AOR = 1.44, 95%CI = 1.20–1.73); those exposed to home SHS and THS had higher odds of inadequate sleep (AOR = 1.83, 95%CI = 1.20–2.78). Conclusions TSE is associated with school-aged children having inadequate sleep, even when smokers did not smoke inside the home. Promoting parental smoking cessation is essential to fully protect children from related risks.
Elucidation of tumor-stromal heterogeneity and the ligand-receptor interactome by single cell transcriptomics in real-world pancreatic cancer biopsies

Purpose: Precision medicine approaches in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are imperative for improving disease outcomes. With molecular subtypes of PDAC gaining relevance in the context of therapeutic stratification, the ability to characterize heterogeneity of cancer-specific gene expression patterns is of great interest. In addition, understanding patterns of immune evasion within PDAC is of importance as novel immunotherapeutic strategies are developed. Experimental Design: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is readily applicable to limited biopsies from human primary and metastatic PDAC and identifies most cancers as being an admixture of previously described epithelial transcriptomic subtypes. Results: Integrative analyses of our data provide an in-depth characterization of the heterogeneity within the tumor microenvironment, including cancer-associated fibroblast subclasses, and predicts for a multitude of ligand-receptor interactions, revealing potential targets for immunotherapy approaches. Conclusions: Our analysis demonstrates that the use of de novo biopsies from patients with PDAC paired with scRNA-seq may facilitate therapeutic prediction from limited biopsy samples.
Promoting Women Participation in India’s Labour Force in Different Sectors

Employment is critical for helping women and their families rise economically and socially. However, if employed in low-paying work characterised by stress and distress, the economic well-being and welfare of women will not improve. This paper examines the trend and growth of self-employed and wage labour women workers in agriculture in Indian states, rural and urban women in household work in Indian states and rural and urban women workers in different sectors between 1999-2000 and 2011-12. This study applies experimental evidence. The study aimed to explore the growth of self-employed and wage labour for women in agriculture in Indian states. In order to accomplish this, rural and urban women who work in different sectors and women who work in the household sector were studied in order to apply percentage, linear trend, and compound growth rates. Internet, books, newspaper, journals, records, and brochures are used as secondary data in creating their results. In 1999–2000, the mean proportion of rural women workers in different sectors was 3.2918% and the standard deviation was 5.73%. In 2011–2012, the mean proportion of rural women workers in different sectors was 4.2327% and the standard deviation was 8.16%. Though, the mean proportion of urban women workers in different sectors between 1999-2000 and 2011-12 showed an increase of 6.92 and 7.89 percent, and the variance increased from 11.73 to 11.71. The trends found were significant at the 5% level, and their coefficients are all positive. The 4.26%, 8.54%, and 8.09% average annual increases of female workers in different sectors shows that women in agricultural, household, and different sectors have all increased by the rate of 4.26%, 8.54%, and 8.09% each year on average. Women who do household work have a higher growth rate, as opposed to women who do other kinds of work and women who work in agriculture. For women in agriculture, the compound growth rates are 0.86%, 7.02% and 0.32%. It suggests that the problem needs to be addressed with government action and policy development.
Variability of the Human C-Wave

C-waves recorded from normal subjects showed large variability not only between individuals, but for the same individual on different days and within a single recording session. C-wave time-to-peak, in contrast, was relatively stable. Recordings from patients with Stargardt’s disease and congenital stationary night blindness exemplify the problem of judging c-wave normality.
Shape and function in mechanical devices

This paper describes a two-step algorithm for the qualitative analysis of mechanical devices. The first step takes the geometrical description of the parts and their initial position and produces a description of the possible relative motions of pairs in contact by computing the configuration space of those pairs with respect to selected motions. Given the possible relative motions and an input motion, the second step computes the actual motion of each object for fixed axis mechanisms using a constraint propagation, label infereneing technique. The output is a state diagram describing the motion of each part in the mechanism.
Self Inducing Relational Distance and Its Application to Image Segmentation

We propose a new feature distance which is derived from an optimal relational graph matching criterion. Instead of defining an arbitrary similarity measure for grouping, we will use the criterion of reducing instability in the relational graph to induce a similarity measure. This similarity measure not only improves the stability of the matching, but more importantly, also captures the relative importance of relational similarity in the feature space for the purpose of grouping. We will call this similarity measure the self-induced relational distance. We demonstrate the distance measure on a brightness-texture feature space and apply it to the segmentation of complex natural images.
The Chemistry and Molecular Architecture of the Cell Walls of Penicillium chrysogenum

Abstract Treatment of 14C-uniformly labeled cell walls of Penicillium chrysogenum with chitobiase-containing chitinase resulted in 73% solubilization. The solubilized components were isolated, identified, and determined quantitatively. N-Acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and N,N'-diacetylchitobiose ((GlcNAc)2) accounted for 42% of the cell wall. Since kinetic analysis showed that GlcNAc arose from (GlcNAc)2, at least 42% of the cell wall contains GlcNAc in β-d-(1 → 4)-glycosidic linkage. When the same experiment was performed with a chitobiase-free chitinase preparation nearly identical results were obtained, except, as expected, essentially all of the GlcNAc was present as (GlcNAc)2. Small amounts of glucose and laminaritriose were also released. In addition, a nondialyzable component, Fraction 5A, accounting for 14% of the wall, was isolated. This fraction, devoid of GlcNAc, contains 20 times the amount of galactose and 2 times the amount of mannose with respect to glucose found in cell wall hydrolysates. An additional 13% of the wall was solubilized when the cell wall residue, following treatment with chitinase, was treated with chitinase-free β-d-(1 → 3)-glucanase. Therefore, 86% of the wall was solubilized when treated first with chitinase, then with β-d-(1 → 3)-glucanase. Initial treatment of cell walls with β-d-(1 → 3)-glucanase resulted in 48% solubilization. From an analysis of the solubilized components the conclusion was reached that at least 40% of the wall contains glucose in β-d-(1 → 3)-glycosidic linkage. An additional 44% of the wall was solubilized when the residue, following treatment with β-d-(1 → 3)-glucanase, was treated with chitinase. Thus, 92% of the wall was solubilized when treated first with β-d-(1 → 3)-glucanase, then with chitinase. The observations that β-d-(1 → 3)-glucanase-free chitinase released in addition to GlcNAc and (GlcNAc)2 also glucose, laminaritriose, and a fraction containing mannose, galactose, and glucose (Fraction 5A) and that treatment of this fraction with β-d-(1 → 3)-glucanase released glucose and laminaribiose suggest that glucose may exist in cell walls in one or more forms other than the major glucan. From the available data it is not clear whether Fraction 5A contains one or several polymers. An analysis of the monomeric cell wall constituents released by acid hydrolysis is in excellent agreement with the results obtained by enzymatic digestion. These results showed the cell wall to contain about 48% glucosamine and about 52% neutral hexoses, which consisted of glucose, galactose, and mannose in the molar proportion of 10:1:2. Thus, if 40% of the wall is glucose, then galactose and mannose account for 4% and 8% of the wall, respectively.
Pin1-Induced Proline Isomerization in Cytosolic p53 Mediates BAX Activation and Apoptosis.

The cytosolic fraction of the tumor suppressor p53 activates the apoptotic effector protein BAX to trigger apoptosis. Here we report that p53 activates BAX through a mechanism different from that associated with activation by BH3 only proteins (BIM and BID). We observed that cis-trans isomerization of proline 47 (Pro47) within p53, an inherently rare molecular event, was required for BAX activation. The prolyl isomerase Pin1 enhanced p53-dependent BAX activation by catalyzing cis-trans interconversion of p53 Pro47. Our results reveal a signaling mechanism whereby proline cis-trans isomerization in one protein triggers conformational and functional changes in a downstream signaling partner. Activation of BAX through the concerted action of cytosolic p53 and Pin1 may integrate cell stress signals to induce a direct apoptotic response.
The umbilical cord: Simplified ligation using new instrument, latex bands, and open-air aftercare

Abstract A new instrument with a simple technique of umbilical cord ligation by means of latex bands is described. The advantages of ligating the cord adjacent to the skin level followed by an open-air and hands-off policy of aftercare are discussed. Complete hemostasis is assured. A decreased incidence of cord stump infections was found, aiding in the elimination of the cord as a focus for staphylococcal and other infections. A possibly lessened incidence of umbilical herniation was observed and warrants further study.
Fear and Trembling in Criminal Judgment

Book review of "The Origins of Reasonable Doubt: Theological Roots of the Criminal Trial" by James Q. Whitman
Bacterial activity in sediments of lakes receiving acid precipitation

Abstract Bacteriological data for water and sediment cores from some of the lakes receiving acid precipitation near Sudbury, Ontario, show a strong relationship between lake acidification and bacteria. pH values below about 5·5 appear to be critical for respiring and aerobic heterotrophic bacteria. Total bacteria in the waters of these lakes existed in the 10 6 ml −1 range while the viable or active populations were approximately two orders of magnitude lower. In the sediments, a relationship was demonstrated between pH, bacterial populations, sediment microbial activity, and total organic matter. In the acid-stressed Silver Lake (pH 3·8) the sediment respiration was 10–20% of that in the non-acid-stressed McFarlane Lake (pH 7·2). Associated with this, a strong correlation was demonstrated between pH and total organic matter in surficial sediments.
Influenza Virus Infection of Human Alveolar and Blood-Derived Macrophages: Differences in Accessory Cell Function and Interferon Production

Influenza virus infection in vitro depresses accessory cell function of human peripheral blood-derived macrophages (PBM phi) for lymphocyte proliferative responses, but effects on such functions of alveolar macrophages (AlvM phi) have not been described. AlvM phi were obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage from normal young volunteers, and the effects of influenza virus infection of AlvM phi and autologous PBM phi were compared by measuring the accessory support provided by these cells for phytohemagglutinin-induced proliferation of purified autologous lymphocytes. Accessory cell function of AlvM phi was not altered by viral infection; in contrast, this function was significantly depressed with autologous virus-infected PBM phi. Virus-infected PBM phi produced greater amounts of interferon than did autologous AlvM phi. However, synthesis of interferon or prostaglandins by virus-infected cells could not account, per se, for depression of lymphocyte responses in the presence of PBM phi. These studies detail functional heterogeneity of autologous PBM phi and AlvM phi in response to a common respiratory-tract pathogen, influenza virus.
The validity of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment for culturally and linguistically diverse Head Start children

Abstract The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) is a social-emotional assessment widely used by early childhood educational programs to inform early identification and intervention efforts. However, its construct validity is not well-established in independent samples of children from low-income backgrounds. We examined the construct validity of the teacher report of the DECA using a series of confirmatory factor analyses, exploratory factor analyses, and the Rasch partial credit model in a large sample of culturally and linguistically diverse Head Start children (N = 5,197). Findings provided some evidence for consistency in the factor structure of the three Protective Factors subscales (Initiative, Self-Control, and Attachment); however, the factor structure of the Behavioral Concerns subscale was not replicated in our sample and demonstrated poor fit to these data. Findings suggested that the 10 items of the published Behavioral Concerns subscale did not comprise a unidimensional construct, but rather, were better represented by two factors (externalizing and internalizing behavior). The use of the total Behavioral Concerns score as a screening tool to identify emotional and behavioral problems in diverse samples of preschool children from low-income backgrounds was not supported, especially for internalizing behavior. Implications for the consequential validity of the DECA for use as a screening tool in early childhood programs serving diverse populations of children and directions for future research are discussed.
Management of the pancreatic stump during the whipple operation

A method of managing the pancreatic stump during the Whipple operation is described. Using this method has resulted in no pancreatic leaks and no postoperative deaths.
Theory of beam coupling and pulse shaping of mode-locked laser pulses in a photorefractive crystal

We describe how optical beams from a mode-locked laser will couple in a photorefractive crystal. We show that the two-beam-coupling gain coefficient is proportional to the square of the electric field correlation of the incoming light pulses. Consequently we show that two-beam-coupling experiments can measure the average coherence length of mode-locked laser pulses. We also describe how the temporal envelopes of the mode-locked optical pulses distort as they couple and propagate through the photorefractive crystal, and we give examples of how pulses can be shaped by using photorefractive coupling.
Herpesviruses in Metastatic Lucké Renal Adenocarcinoma

The etiologic agent of the renal adenocarcinoma of leopard frogs, Rana pipiens, is the Lucke tumor herpesvirus (LTHV). The virus is easily detected with thin section electron microscopy in primary tumors of frogs which have been exposed to a cold environment. Several spontaneous metastatic nodules and a large primary tumor were detected at autopsy of a frog which had been maintained at 4°C for 73 days. LTHV was found not only in the primary tumor, as previously reported, but also was present in metastatic tumor cells in the liver, fat body, and bladder. The presence of LTHV in metastatic cells demonstrates that the differentiated state of primary Lucke tumor cells is retained in its metastatic colonies even at the fine structure level revealed by electron microscopy.
Low power design challenges for the decade (invited talk)

Technology scaling will become difficult beyond 0.18 micron. For continued growth in performance, transistor density, and reduced energy per computation, circuit design will have to employ a new set of design techniques, with adequate design automation tools support. This paper discusses a few such techniques that reduce active and leakage power, and deliver higher performance. It concludes by pointing out some of the potential paradigm shifts.
From Touchstone to Tombstone: Children's Experiences with the Abuse of Their Beloved Pets:

This article explores the interconnections between animal and child victimization. Employing a symbolic interactionist perspective, I ask the following questions: What role do pets play in the live...
Interrelationships among heats of formation and molecular mechanics steric energies

Abstract A procedure for the calculation of the heat of formation (WHf) of alkyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons from molecular mechanics steric energies is discussed. The simple protocol requires the choice of a model that accurately reflects the structural characteristics present in the molecular system, especially with regard to steric interactions.
Electrolytes control flows of water and sucrose through collagen membranes.

The physical state of a collagen membrane is determined, among other factors, by the concentration of electrolytes in the bathing solutions, going from a crystalline to an amorphous phase as the concentration increases. Thus, the permeation of uncharged solutes and water is strongly dependent upon the salts in the bathing solutions, which through the induced phase transition control not only the thickness and the solvent content of the membrane but also affect the magnitudes of the frictional coefficients of transport. These changes in physical parameters are reflected in variations of several hundred per cent in the values of the phenomenological coefficients ω s ,L p and σ. Experiments were performed to determine the physical state and the permeability properties of the membrane as functions of the controlling electrolyte, in this instance CaCl2, in the bathing solutions. In particular the filtration coefficientL p , the permeability coefficient for sucrose ω s , and the reflection coefficient for sucrose σ were determined via flow measurements at different salt concentrations. Complementary measurements of swelling and length variations were made. Data were reduced to membrane thickness, solvent volume-fraction, and the phenomenological coefficients. These in turn were reduced to the frictionsfsm,fsw andf wm ; there was a direct correlation between the behavior of these frictions and the physical state of the collagen membrane as indicated by the length and volume variations.
Contribution of Shrubs to the Nitrogen Economy of a Desert-Wash Plant Community

Total nitrogen incorporated in the shrubs of a low—fertility desert plant community (principally Acacia Gregii, Cassia armata, and Larrea divaricata) was estimated from the nitrogen content of plant parts, the total weight of plants and proportional weight of roots, stems, and leaves, and the number of plants per unit area. The average nitrogen content of shrub leaves, stems, and roots was 1.31%, .87%, and .80%, respectively. Shrub cover occupied 20% of the ground surface and contained an average of 29 kg nitrogen/ha. Legume shrubs were not significantly greater in nitrogen content than nonlegume shrubs. Soil nitrogen content decreased significantly as a function of radial distance from the center of the shrub canopy. Areas between shrubs averaged 0.19% nitrogen in the surface inch of soil. Soil nitrogen content decreased significantly from the surface to 90—cm depth and was closely related to shrub species and their root—distribution patterns. See full-text article at JSTOR