cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Methods for Social Justice and Equity: Theoretical and Practical Considerations

Quantitative methods, in both their historical and contemporary use, have been mobilized from hegemonic, positivist perspectives with implicit assumptions of whiteness and cisheteropatriarchy. Often, quantitative approaches are dehumanizing, totalizing, and homogenizing. However, there is growing interest in and efforts toward using quantitative methods for more equitable aims. In this chapter, we highlight some of the historical, theoretical, and practical challenges in using quantitative methods in equity-oriented scholarship and suggest practical ways to humanize those methods.
Generalized Prediction Framework for Reconstructed Image Properties using Neural Networks.

Model-based reconstruction (MBR) algorithms in CT have demonstrated superior dose-image quality tradeoffs compared to traditional analytical methods. However, the nonlinear and data-dependent nature of these al- gorithms pose significant challenges for performance evaluation and parameter optimization. To address these challenges, this work presents an analysis framework for quantitative and predictive modeling of image proper- ties in general nonlinear MBR algorithms. We propose to characterize the reconstructed appearance of arbitrary stimuli by the generalized system response function that accounts for dependence on the imaging conditions, reconstruction parameters, object, and the stimulus itself (size, contrast, location). We estimate this nonlinear function using a multilayer perceptron neural network by providing input and output pairs that samples the range of imaging parameters of interest. The feasibility of this approach was demonstrated for predicting the appearance of a spiculated lesion reconstructed by a penalized-likelihood objective with a Huber penalty in a physical phantom as a function of its location and reconstruction parameters β and δ. The generalized system response functions predicted from the trained neural network show good agreement with those computed from mean reconstructions, proving the ability of the framework in mapping out the nonlinear function for combinations of imaging parameters not present in the training data. We demonstrated utility of the framework to achieve desirable (e.g., non-blocky) lesion appearance in arbitrary locations in the phantom without the need for performing actual reconstructions. The proposed prediction framework permits efficient and quantifiable performance evaluations to provide robust control and understanding of image properties for general classes of nonlinear MBR algorithms.
Community Pharmacist Utilization of Legislation That Allows Impact on the Opioid Crisis in the State of Minnesota: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

Background:As opioid overdose deaths climb, legislation supporting pharmacists in developing their role to address the crisis has expanded. Although Minnesota pharmacists are encouraged to utilize ...
Fiery tongues and mystical motivations: glossolalia in a forensic population is associated with mania and sexual/religious delusions.

Comparisons are made between a nonrandom sample of 18 glossolalists and 130 non-glossolalists admitted to a maximum-security forensic hospital. The glossolalic mentally disordered offender exhibited a predominance of diagnoses in the manic spectrum, and was typically psychotic. The delusions, hallucinations, and crimes were predominately of a religious and sexual nature. Glossolalist perpetrators tended to be female. We review the extant research on glossolalia in both normal and clinical samples, and integrate our findings, the first study of glossolalia in a forensic setting.
A phase II study of epacadostat and pembrolizumab in patients with advanced sarcoma.

11049Background: Tumors express IDO1, an intracellular enzyme involved in the degradation of tryptophan to kynurenine, in order to evade immunosurveillance. Epacadostat inhibits IDO1 and shifts the...
Meta-Analysis Comparing Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation With Versus Without Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Patients having transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) routinely undergo coronary angiography before the procedure to define the coronary anatomy and to evaluate the extend of coronary artery disease (CAD). Whether percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) prior/concomitant with TAVI confers any additional clinical benefit in patients with CAD remains unclear. Literature search was performed using Medline, Embase, Google Scholar, and Scopus from inception of these databases till April 2019. Included outcomes were 30-day all-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), acute kidney injury, and 1-year mortality. The main summary estimate was random effects odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Eleven cohort studies enrolling 5,580 patients (mean age 82.4 years and 52.6% females) were included. Our study found no difference in effect estimates for 30-day all-cause mortality (OR 1.30 [0.85 to 1.98], p = 0.22, I2 = 37.5%), stroke (OR 0.7 (0.36 to 1.45), p = 0.36, I2 = 32.8%), MI (OR 2.71 [0.55 to 12.23], p = 0.22, I2 = 41.3%), acute kidney injury (OR 0.7 [0.46 to 1.06], p = 0.08, I2 = 14.4%) and 1-year all-cause mortality (OR 1.19 [0.92 to 1.52], p = 0.18, I2 = 0.0%) in patients who underwent TAVI with and without PCI. In conclusion, our analysis indicates that PCI with TAVI in patients with severe aortic stenosis and concomitant CAD grants no additional clinical advantage in terms of patient important clinical outcomes. Further randomized studies are needed to better delineate the clinical practice for myocardial revascularization in patients receiving transcatheter therapy for aortic valve disease.
Antibiotic Stewardship Related to CDI in Long-Term Care Facilities

Antibiotic stewardship plays a key role in prevention of Clostridioides difficile colonization and infection. This chapter summarizes on the need for stewardship in long-term care facilities. It focuses on important elements in a stewardship program and provides guidance on ways to implement and sustain a stewardship program at any LTCF.
Effects of vitamin K1 treatment on plasma concentrations of long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide enantiomers following inhalation of contaminated synthetic cannabinoids.

Background: An outbreak of synthetic cannabinoid (SC)-associated coagulopathy and bleeding in Illinois, USA was determined to be due to inhalation of SC contaminated with brodifacoum (BDF), difenac...
Glycogen Storage Diseases

Glycogen is the principal storage form of carbohydrate in animal cells and is present virtually in every tissue of the body. Glycogen storage diseases (GSDs) (glycogenoses) are inborn metabolic disorders characterized by defects in enzymes or transport proteins that affect glycogen metabolism. The glycogen found in these disorders is abnormal in quantity, quality, or both. At present, more than 12 recognized glycogenoses are categorized either numerically in chronological accordance with their discovery or by organ involvement/clinical manifestations (liver or muscle). Hepatic GSDs include types I, III, IV, VI, IX, and XI. Muscle GSDs include types II, III, V, VII, and IX.
Vaping-Related Mobile Apps Available in the Google Play Store After the Apple Ban: Content Review.

Background: In response to health concerns about vaping devices (eg, youth nicotine use, lung injury), Apple removed 181 previously approved vaping-related apps from the App Store in November 2019. This policy change may lessen youth exposure to content that glamorizes vaping; however, it may also block important sources of information and vaping device control for adults seeking to use vaping devices safely. Objective: Understanding the types of nicotine and cannabis vaping–related apps still available in the competing Google Play Store can shed light on how digital apps may reflect information available to consumers. Methods: In December 2019, we searched the Google Play Store for vaping-related apps using the keywords "vape" and "vaping" and reviewed the first 100 apps presented in the results. We reviewed app titles, descriptions, screenshots, and metadata to categorize the intended substance (nicotine or cannabis/tetrahydrocannabinol) and the app’s purpose. The most installed apps in each purpose category were downloaded and evaluated for quality and usability with the Mobile App Rating Scale. Results: Of the first 100 apps, 79 were related to vaping. Of these 79 apps, 43 (54%) were specific to nicotine, 3 (4%) were specific to cannabis, 1 (1%) was intended for either, and for the remaining 31 (39%), the intended substance was unclear. The most common purposes of the apps were making do-it-yourself e-liquids (28/79, 35%) or coils (25/79, 32%), games/entertainment (19/79, 24%), social networking (16/79, 20%), and shopping for vaping products (15/79, 19%). Of the 79 apps, at least 4 apps (5%) paired with vaping devices to control temperature or dose settings, 8 apps (10%) claimed to help people quit smoking using vaping, and 2 apps (3%) had the goal of helping people quit vaping. Conclusions: The majority of vaping-related apps in the Google Play Store had features either to help users continue vaping, such as information for modifying devices, or to maintain interest in vaping. Few apps were for controlling device settings or assisting with quitting smoking or vaping. Assuming that these Google Play Store apps were similar in content to the Apple App Store apps that were removed, it appears that Apple’s ban would have a minimal effect on people who vape with the intention of quitting smoking or who are seeking information about safer vaping via mobile apps.
Hollow-cathode chemical vapor deposition of thick, low-stress diamond-like carbon films

Abstract A radio-frequency (RF), hollow-cathode plasma source with confining magnetic field is described for the chemical vapor deposition of thick ( > 10 µm), amorphous diamond-like carbon ablator films for inertial confinement fusion applications. Plasma is characterized by optical emission spectroscopy, while properties of the resultant films are measured by a combination of profilometry, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, elastic recoil detection analysis, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The dependence of the deposition rate, film density, elemental composition, self-bias and residual stress is reported as a function of RF power. Higher density films were found when using Ar plasma, than N2 or H2 plasma. The coatings produced are x-ray amorphous, exhibit low compressive stress ( ~ 100 MPa), high density (
Design of Structural Models, with Application to Stiffened Panels Under Combined Shear and Compression

Practical methods for the design of structural test specimens are presented, based on the principle of exploring a specific mode of failure rather than the customary indefinite investigation of structural behavior in general. This approach makes possible considerable simplification in specimen construction, through application of similitude relations, without introducing unknown restrictions on the validity of the results. Illustration is provided by application to the problem of interaction relations for stiffened-skin panels under combined compression and shear. Results of full-scale tests, under simultaneous bending and torsion, of a box beam structure incorporating machined integrally stiffened test panels substantiate the interaction curve derived by similitude relations.
Simplified Methods for Cylindrical Failure

Since Taylor (1937) first published his stability charts, various charts have been successively presented by Bishop and Morgenstern (1960), Morgenstern (1963), and Spencer (1967). The application of these charts were reviewed by Hunter and Schuster (1971).
Chapter 61 Implementation theory

Abstract This chapter surveys the branch of implementation theory initiated by Maskin (1999) . Results for both complete and incomplete information environments are covered.
"We Do Science Here": Underrepresented Students' Interactions with Faculty in Different College Contexts.

Faculty members play a key role in the identification and training of the next generation of scientific talent. In the face of the need to advance and diversify the scientific workforce, we examine whether and how specific institutional contexts shape student interactions with faculty. We conducted a mixed methods study to understand institutional contextual differences in the experiences of aspiring scientists. Data from a qualitative five-campus case study and a quantitative longitudinal study of students from over 117 higher education institutions were analyzed to determine how aspiring scientists interact with faculty and gain access to resources that will help them achieve their educational goals. Findings indicate that important structural differences exist between institutions in shaping students’ interactions with faculty. For example, students at more selective institutions typically have less frequent, less personal interactions with faculty whereas Black students at HBCUs report having more support and frequent interactions with faculty.
Polymer films on electrodes: Part II. Film structure and mechanism of electron transfer with electrodeposited poly(vinylferrocene)

Abstract The structure and properties of electrodeposited poly(vinylferrocene) (PVF) films on platinum electrodes (PVF/Pt) were examined by electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, various electrochemical techniques and measurements of the film resistance. The data were consistent with a mechanism in which the polymer films are permeable to dis-solved reactants. A theoretical treatment of this situation for chronoamperometry is presented. The oxidation and reduction of a variety of dissolved reactants with redox potentials far removed from that of the PVF/PVF+ system at PVF/Pt occurred by diffusion of the electroactive species through the polymer film and subsequent reaction at the platinum surface.
Thymine and Thymidine Uptake by Haemophilus influenzae and the Labeling of Deoxyribonucleic Acid

The influence of ribo- and deoxyribonucleosides and ribo- and deoxyribonucleotides on the uptake of radiolabeled thymidine and thymine by Haemophilus influenzae during growth was investigated. A nucleoside-degrading enzyme similar to that reported in Escherichia coli was found to break down thymidine unless other nucleosides were present to divert its action. The presence of other nucleosides permitted a nearly quantitative uptake of even low levels of thymidine. This quantitative uptake of thymidine in the presence of an excess of other nucleosides suggests that the uptake mechanism for thymidine is specific in this organism. Under optimal conditions, as much as 50% of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) thymine was derived from exogenous thymidine. Thymine was not taken up by H. influenzae but, in the presence of purine deoxynucleosides, labeled thymine entered the cells, presumably as thymidine. Ribonucleosides or ribonucleotides inhibited thymine conversion to thymidine, but, as noted above, they were degraded by a cellular enzyme. Thus, unless the ribonucleoside level was excessively high, a cell level of growth was reached at which the inhibiting ribonucleoside was broken down and labeled thymine appeared in the cells at an increasing rate. Twenty-five per cent of the DNA thymine of this organism was labeled with exogenous thymine. The information noted above serves as the basis for isotopically labeling the DNA.
Activation of mGluR5 Modulates GABAA Receptor Function in Retinal Amacrine Cells

Amacrine cells in the vertebrate retina receive glutamatergic input from bipolar cells and make synapses onto bipolar cells, ganglion cells, and other amacrine cells. Recent studies indicate that a...
Soil microbiology, ecology, and biochemistry

Our science, based on a successful past, has great potential for an exciting, dynamic future if we understand it and apply its unifying principles. Advances in genomic studies are identifying multitudes of new soil biota. Automated, analytical instrumentation and modeling are characterizing soil organic matter and its dynamics. Soil nutrient transformations, plant–microbial interactions, substrate availability, and interactions with the soil matrix at the nanometer and micrometer levels must be understood. They also need to be interpreted to kilometer–megameter scales required for both global C and N cycling as well as an increased understanding of human resources. The turnover of soil organic matter, now considered to be primarily microbial products, controls nutrients such as phosphorus, sulfur, and metals. Our complex field requires a greater knowledge of physiological, ecological, and modeling concepts. These concepts must be integrated with information on soil characteristics and breakthroughs in methodology to understand the diversity, occurrence, and interactions of organisms with their environment.
A Study of the Roles of NGOs for North Korean Refugees’ Human Rights

Even though the U.S. government passed a bill supporting North Korean refugees’ human rights, security and other issues create some difficulties in implementing this support. To overcome information and basic knowledge limitations, the U.S. government should cooperate with nonprofit organizations or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other governments in the world. This research is composed of four case studies based on media coverage and literature reviews, as well as semistructured interviews with NGOs’ officials, seeking to provide feasible and useful suggestions why NGOs are important for improving refugee policies and why the U.S. and other countries’ governments need to cooperate with such NGOs.
Reckoning perverse outcomes of resource conservation policies using the Ecological Footprint

Abstract Spatially expanding economies threaten the status of basic natural resources. In particular, wildlife habitats rarely benefit. Apart from protected areas, political-economic decision-making is ill-prepared to accommodate wildlife habitats with standard valuation methods. In some cases habitat loss is an inadvertent outcome of resource conservation policies intended to lower resource consumption. We recognize the term resource conservation as multifaceted, with a range of meanings from protecting wildlife habitats to efficiently allocating and using materials and energy. Resource conservation policies that spur economic benefits may produce unwanted outcomes. This is partly because linkages between economic and conservation goals seem tangential. Moreover, relevant information is imperfect and predictive tools are limited. This is particularly true for land converting impacts, which are often addressed after the fact, not during policy formulation, and can lead to successive resource degradation. We argue for the need to calculate the positive and negative land converting impacts from resource conservation policies that may expand the economy. Using the Ecological Footprint (EF) approach, we tested for potentially perverse outcomes of an existing resource conservation policy. In doing so, we conceptually mapped linkages among economic sectors to their cumulative effects of converting land. We assume an inverse relationship between economic expansion and land conservation. A New York State energy efficiency incentive program was tested using recent data from all tracked economic sectors. The economic data were converted in a series of steps from dollar values to energy units, to carbon dioxide emissions, and ultimately expressed in hectares of net land conversion. A policy scenario was compared to a reference scenario (no resource conservation policy), and the results anticipate a net gain in conserving land (0.6% reduced conversion). We interpret this as a potentially proportional offset favoring wildlife habitat retention. Two sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the policy’s impact on conserving land depended on both the affected economy’s scale (tripling reduces the estimated benefit to 0.2%), and the level of economic expansion that followed (doubling leads to a net loss of wildlands). This novel use of the EF approach may serve as a model for a more general approach to assessing a broader class of policies. It may also hold promise toward developing tools that can better examine well-intentioned resource conservation policies with uncertain outcomes. Our hope is that work like this can lead to better sets of tools for examining critical ecological–economic linkages for improved policy design.
Structure and properties of superconducting and nonsuperconducting alkali-metal fullerides axc60 (A = Na, K, Rb, or Cs)

Shielding diamagnetism and X-ray powder diffraction were used to characterize alkali-metal fullerides of sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium. The superconducting phase in both the potassium and rubidium systems has the composition A3C60 and a face centered cubic structure with alkali metal filling all octahedral and tetrahedral sites of close packed C60, layers. High pressure magnetic susceptibility measurements on K3C60 showed a negative pressure dependence on the superconducting transition temperature of −0.78 K/kbar. No evidence for superconductivity was observed in either the sodium or cesium systems, even though Na3C60 appears isostructural with K3C60 and Rb3C60.
Physical property comparison of 11 soft denture lining materials as a function of accelerated aging

Abstract Soft denture-lining materials are an important treatment option for patients who have chronic soreness associated with dental prostheses. Three distinctly different types of materials are generally used. These are plasticized polymers or copolymers, silicones, or polyphosphazene fluoroelastomer. The acceptance of these materials by patients and dentists is variable. The objective of this study is to compare the tensile strength, percent elongation, hardness, tear strength, and tear energy of eight plasticized polymers or copolymers, two silicones, and one polyphosphazene fluoroelastomer. Tests were run at 24 hours after specimen preparation and repeated after 900 hours of accelerated aging in a Weather-Ometer device. The data indicated a wide range of physical properties for soft denturelining materials and showed that accelerated aging dramatically affected the physical and mechanical properties of many of the elastomers. No soft denture liner proved to be superior to all others. The data obtained should provide clinicians with useful information for selecting soft denture lining materials for patients.
Effects of hormones on the renal response to unilateral nephrectomy in hypophysectomized rats.

The roles of selected hormones in restoring the capacity of the remaining kidney following uninephrectomy of hypophysectomized rats to respond by tubular hyperplasia were explored. Autoradiography, using tritiated thymidine, was employed for identifying cells synthesizing new deoxyribonucleic acid within a standard period, a valid measure of mitotic activity. For animals with intact pituitary glands, both cortex and medulla of kidneys remaining three days after uninephrectomy exhibited a 3½-fold increase in numbers of labeled cells over control levels. The amount of mitotic activity in either region of bilaterally intact kidneys of hypophysectomized animals was not significantly different from that for animals with intact pituitaries, but the compensatory renal hyperplastic response to uninephrectomy was reduced to one-third. Either a small amount of growth hormone or a much larger amount of anterior pituitary extract, administered subcutaneously twice daily for several days, restored the compensatory response to uninephrectomy to levels obtained in rats with intact hypophyses. Adrenocorticotropic hormone depressed mitosis markedly in control kidneys of hypophysectomized animals and to an even lower level in remaining kidneys. Growth hormone would appear to be a necessary and effective component of the pituitary secretion in permitting compensatory renal hyperplasia to take place. Since prior studies have shown adrenalectomy to promote cellular division in renal tubules, it was assumed that the presently reported depression of renal mitosis by excess adrenocorticotropic hormone was mediated by an overactivity of the adrenal glands.
Orthostatic headache without CSF leak

Objective: To describe the syndrome of orthostatic headache without CSF leak and propose potential mechanisms. Methods: From among 125 patients referred to one of us (B.M.) over a 5-year period for evaluation of orthostatic headache and suspected CSF leak, those patients with negative head and spine MRI, normal radioisotope cisternography and CT myelography, and normal recumbent CSF opening pressure were identified and their medical records reviewed. Results: Six patients satisfied the above criteria for absence of CSF leak. Four patients were men. Mean age at the time of evaluation was 39 years (range 20 to 65). Median duration of symptoms prior to evaluation at our institution was 2 years (range 0.5 to 16). An inciting event was present in two patients. Cochleovestibular symptoms were present in five patients. Mean CSF opening pressure was 140.3 mm H 2 O (range 86 to 186). Two patients underwent autonomic reflex screens; neither showed postural tachycardia syndrome. After mean follow-up of 45.5 months (range 31 to 67), one patient had experienced a complete spontaneous recovery while five had persistent orthostatic headache. Conclusions: Orthostatic headaches can occur without evidence of intracranial hypotension or detectable CSF leak despite extensive diagnostic testing. Clinical features alone are unlikely to differentiate between orthostatic headache with and without identifiable CSF leak. Potential mechanisms include 1) very slow or intermittent CSF leak that cannot be detected at the time of evaluation or by current diagnostic means or 2) increased compliance of the lower spinal CSF space without actual leak. GLOSSARY: HIP = hydrostatic indifferent point; SIH = spontaneous intracranial hypotension.
Sharing Problems and Solutions for Machine Translation of Spoken and Written Interaction

Examples from chat interaction are presented to demonstrate that machine translation of written interaction shares many problems with translation of spoken interaction. The potential for common solutions to the problems is illustrated by describing operations that normalize and tag input before translation. Segmenting utterances into small translation units and processing short turns separately are also motivated using data from chat.
Observations on the rare earths—LXXII The preparation and characterization of anhydrous and n,n-dimethylformamide-solvated acetates

Abstract Rare-earth metal and yttrium acetates have been effectively dehydrated by treatment with N,N-dimethylformamide and benzene, followed by azeotropic distillation. Ansolvous acetates, Ln(C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 3 , have been obtained where Ln = Y, La, Dy, Ho, Er, and Yb; but where Ln = Ce(III), Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, or Gd, monosolvated acetates, Ln(C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 3 ·DMF, have resulted. The latter compounds are readily converted to the ansolvous materials by heating in vacuo at 210°C. Ansolvous and dimethylformamide-solvated acetates have been characterized by means of analysis, X-ray diffraction, and infra-red measurements.
Endometrial cancer: can nodal status be predicted with curettage?

Abstract Objective. To determine whether histologic or molecular markers assessed in pretreatment curettage specimens predict nodal metastasis in endometrial cancer. Methods. Phenotypic and molecular variables (ploidy, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, MIB-1, p53, HER-2/neu, and bcl-2) were analyzed in preoperative specimens from 82 patients with endometrial cancer who had lymph nodes dissected. These 82 patients had been selected from a total population of 283 patients with endometrial cancer, using a case-cohort design. Weighted logistic regressions were then used to determine significant predictors of positive lymph nodes, and results were estimated for the total population of 283 patients. Results. Of the overall population, 12% of patients were estimated to have positive lymph nodes. Histologic subtype, p53, and bcl-2 each were significantly correlated ( P Conclusion. In pretreatment curettage specimens, the presence of unfavorable levels of p53 or bcl-2 or of nonendometrioid histologic features, or combinations of those, significantly predicted lymph node status, thus facilitating the preoperative identification of patients at risk of lymph node metastases.
Subsonic Drag Reduction of the Space Shuttle Orbiter

Various near-wake flow-modifying devices were experimentally evaluated for their effectiveness in increasing base pressure of the Space Shuttle Orbiter at low subsonic speed. The results confirmed the strong three-dimensional character of the Orbiter near wake. A base cavity was found to be the most effective mechanism for increasing base pressure. However, for this mechanism to be effective, the cavity had to be longer than the main engine nozzles. Surface characteristics of the base cavity exposed to freestream had a strong influence on the base pressure. The trapped-vortex mechanism due to a back step was found to be effective in increasing the base pressure only in the region of the orbital-maneuvering-system pods. A combination of base-cavity and trapped-vortex mechanisms increased the base pressure by 25%, and the reduction in total drag was approximately 6%.
Environmental Assessment of Ash Disposal

Abstract Combustion processes for power generation or waste volume reduction result in the generation of mostly inorganic ash residues. Recycling or reuse of these materials is sometimes possible; however, presently, the major portion must be disposed of in an environmentally acceptable way. In this review, the physical and chemical properties of these ashes are presented, and their suitability for various purposes are assessed. Included is information on leachate generation and how inorganic species interact and are transported in porous media. In view of these principles, appropriate environmental control strategies are presented and discussed.
Projective maps of rank ≥2 are strongly projective

Abstract We investigate the structure of projective maps between manifolds with linear connections, showing in particular that a projective map on a connected manifold that attains a rank ≥2 at some point is strongly projective
CALIBRATIONS FOR COMPUTING THORNTHWAITE'S POTENTIAL EVAPOTRANSPIRATION IN CALIFORNIA

The Thornthwaite method for computing evapotranspiration has been employed in a variety of climatic realms. Recently, the equation for computing potential evapotranspiration has been shown to underestimate measured moisture losses in dry environments. This study presents monthly calibration equations that enhance the reliability of the Thornthwaite estimates of evapotranspiration for California stations. Six years of calibrated monthly potential evapotranspiration are compared with lysimetermeasured evapotranspiration at Davis and with other estimates of evapotranspiration for this site.
Anchorage-independent growth of normal human mesothelial cells: a sensitive bioassay for EGF which discloses the absence of this factor in fetal calf serum.

This laboratory recently reported that normal human mesothelial cells require epidermal growth factor (EGF) and hydrocortisone (HC), in addition to fetal calf serum and a complex defined medium component, in order to grow optimally in surface culture (9). We report here that this normal cell type also forms large colonies at high efficiency in semi-solid medium, but exhihits more stringent serum and EGF requirements for anchorage-independent than for surface growth. Mesothelial cells are unable to divide at all in semi-solid medium with added EGF or with less than 2% serum, whereas they grow slowly but progressively in surface culture under such conditions. In semi-solid medium containing 20% serum and HC, mesothelial cells are stimulated to divide by the addition of as little as 30 pg/ml purified EGF. Human urine or male mouse plasma could substitute for purified EGF, yielding growth commensurate with the levels of EGF in these biological fluids previously measured by others using radioreceptor and radioimmune assays. Thus growth of mesothelial cells in semi-solid medium can serve as a highly sensitive assay of EGF biological activity which is unaffected by the presence of serum proteins. In addition, our results demonstrate that fetal calf serum does not provide mitogenic levels of EGF to cultured cells, raising the question of the identity of plasma and serum mitogens.
PREOPERATIVE SERUM PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN LEVELS BETWEEN 2 AND 22 NG./ML. CORRELATE POORLY WITH POST-RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY CANCER MORPHOLOGY: PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN CURE RATES APPEAR CONSTANT BETWEEN 2 AND 9 NG./ML.

Purpose: Serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) is widely used as a guide to initiate prostatic biopsies and to follow men older than 50 years old with and without prostate cancer. However, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common cause of serum PSA values between 2 and 10 ng./ml. A better understanding of the relationships among serum PSA, prostate cancer and BPH is important.Materials and Methods: A total of 875 men underwent radical prostatectomy at our institution between December 1984 and January 1997. Of these men 784 had a serum PSA of 2 to 22 ng./ml., including 579 with the largest cancer located in the peripheral zone of the prostate. Of the 579 men 406 had serum PSA followups for greater than 3 years after radical prostatectomy. We examined Pearson correlations (R2) between preoperative serum PSA, and the volume of Gleason grades 4/5 and 3 to 1 cancer in 784 men, separating peripheral zone from transition zone cancers. We used broken line regression with break points of 7 and 9 ng./ml. preo...
Effects of light/dark- and dark-rearing on synaptic morphology in the superior colliculus and visual cortex of the postnatal and adult rat

Serveral synaptic parameters, previously shown to undergo alterations with changes in the internal and external environment, were examined in the visual system of light/dark- and dark-reared postnatal and adult rats. Animals were raised in either 14hr light/10 hr dark (Lt/Dk) or in total darkness (Dk). The specific synaptic parameters in the superficial layers of the superior colliculus (SC), visual cortex (laminae II/III and IV) (VC), and, as contro, the auditory cortex (laminae II/III and IV) (AC), examined during the postnatal period (i.e., postnatal days 7,14,21, and 28) and in the adult (i.e., day 56) included:(1) mean number of synapses, (2) mean synaptic length, (3) percentages of perforated postsynaptic densities, (4) percentages of asymmetric and symmetric synapses, (5) percentages of dendritic, spinous, anmd somatic synapses, and (6) percentages of synapses with positive, negative, or no curvature. Developmental patterns in rats rearded in normal lighting conditions were noted. Specifically, in the SC and VC of Lt/Dk animals, the number of synapses increased up to postnatal day in the mean number of synapses increased; no significant changes in the mean number of synapses between PND =28 and 56 were detected in any of the areas examined. Changes in synaptic length in the SC and VC were not observed during postnatal development or in the adult in any of the aforementioned brain areas. Low percentages of postsynaptic densities (PSDs) were found at all time points and in all brain areas during the postnatal period. Increases in perforated PSDs were seen at PND = 56 compared to PND = 28 in the VC. In the VC and AC, there was decrease in symmetric synapses with age. Asymmetric synapses were prevalent in all brain areas at PND = 28 AND 56. dendritic synapses predominated in the SC, while spinous synapses were the preponderant type in the VC and AC during postnatal development and in the adult, A decrease in the percentage of spinous synapses in the SC was observed at PND = 56 vs. PND = 28. A decrease in the percentage of negatively curved synapses with age and a trend toward a concomitant increase in the percentage of positively curved synapses were seen in all brain areas during development and in the adult. Quantitative analyses of the SC and VC tissues examined from all postnatal animals demonstrated no significant differences between Lt/Dk and Dk animals in all the synaptic parameters measured. On the other hand, similar analyses of adult synapses in the SC and VC showed a significantly smaller mean number of synapses in rats dark-reared to adulthood as compared to those raised in normal lighting conditions. Dark-rearing had no effect on synaptic number at any time point in the auditory cortex, indicating that this is a specific light effect. Therefore, the effects of visual deprivation on synaptic numbers occur during early adulthood and not during postnatal development.
Attributions of Shy and Not-Shy Group Members for Collective Group Performance:

The current study sought to extend research on shyness from a focus on individuals and dyadic interactions to the role of shyness in small decision-making groups by examining attributions for group...
TRADE‐OFF IN STABILITY AND GROWTH: CASE STUDY OF INDIRECT TAXES IN TURKEY

Recent research in the public finance literature has developed a new model for the analysis of tax structures. Unlike the traditional income elasticity methodology, this model examines a structure in terms of its growth rate and volatility of receipts. Once a structure is analyzed, the model demonstrates how revenue volatility may be reduced without sacrificing the rate of growth of receipts. This study applies this special methodology to the indirect tax structure of Turkey, in order to demonstrate how revenue instability can be minimized in a developing country. Results of the empirical analysis show how the indirect tax structure could be modified to obtain an acceptable rate of growth and volatility in receipts, to support essential government services.
Thermoelastic Stability of Layer Bonded to Half Plane

Sandwich and bimetallic plating significantly enhance many engineering applications within the civil engineering, marine engineering, and naval architecture fields due to its high strength-to-weight ratio. However, the design of sandwich plates requires an assessment of how they react to environments in which elevated temperatures are probable. A simple model, consisting of a layer bonded to a half plane, is used to predict the thermoelastic stability of such sandwich and bimetallic plating. It is found that the conduction of heat between the two dissimilar elastic bodies can cause thermoelastic instabilities within the system. The characteristic equation governing the thermoelastic stability of the layer bonded to a half plane exhibits instabilities dependent on the material properties of the layer and half plane. These instabilities are categorized, based on the ratio of the material properties, into three types.
Dynamic output feedback control of minimum-phase multivariable nonlinear processes

Abstract This paper concerns the synthesis of dynamic output feedback controllers for minimum-phase multivariable nonlinear processes with a nonsingular characteristic matrix. State-space controller realizations are derived that induce a linear input/output behavior of general form in the closed-loop system. A combination of input/output linearizing state feedback laws and state observers is employed for the derivation of the controllers. For open-loop stable processes, the process model is used as an open-loop state observer. In the more general case of possible open-loop instability, a reduced-order observer is used based on the forced zero dynamics of the process model. The performance and robustness characteristics of the proposed control methodology are illustrated through simulations in a chemical reactor example.
Cocaine-induced taste aversions: effect of route of administration.

Female Long-Evans rats were given 20-min access to saccharin followed by either intraperitoneal (IP) or subcutaneous (SC) cocaine (18, 32 or 50 mg/kg) or vehicle. Aversions induced by IP-administered cocaine were relatively weak, with subjects at all doses decreasing consumption by only 35% after four conditioning trials. On the other hand, aversions induced by SC-administered cocaine were robust, with subjects at the two highest doses (32 and 50 mg/kg) decreasing saccharin consumption by 95 and 98%, respectively, on the final aversion test. Although several possibilities exist for the differential ability of IP and SC cocaine to induce taste aversions (e.g., longer duration of action with SC cocaine and the convulsant property of IP cocaine), the basis for this difference remains unknown. A secondary finding was the effect of route of administration on body weight. While all subjects receiving IP cocaine maintained or increased in body weight, subjects receiving the two highest doses of SC cocaine decreased in body weight by 3 and 5%, respectively. The differential effect of IP and SC cocaine on body weight may be due to cocaine's action on drinking and feeding or cocaine's leptogenic property. Independent of the mechanism underlying the differential ability of IP and SC administration to induce taste aversions and affect body weight, it is clear that route of administration may play an important role in the effects of cocaine.
Autoradiographic studies on the distribution of labeled maternal RNA in early mouse embryos

Maternal RNA of mouse eggs and embryos was labeled by exposure of growing ovarian oocytes to 3H-uridine in vivo 8 to 16 days before ovulation and fertilization. Labeled embryos from the 1-cell stage to the blastocyst stage were collected, fixed, and autoradiographs of plastic sections prepared. The observed grain density was similar in the pronuclei and in the cytoplasm of 1-cell embryos. Knowing the volumes of nucleus and cytoplasm, it was determined that 3% of the maternal RNA was found in the pronuclei. It is suggested that some of this nuclear RNA may be stable small nuclear RNAs (e.g. U1 RNA) retained from the germinal vesicle stage through meiotic maturation. During the 2-cell stage and beyond, maternal RNA is degraded and labeled precursor is reincorporated into nuclear RNA, making it difficult to accurately quantitate the amount of nuclear maternal RNA. It is known that about one third of the total maternal RNA is lost between the 8-cell and blastocyst stages. It was found that cytoplasmic grain densities in inner and outer cells of the morula and blastocyst were not significantly different. Thus, the loss of maternal RNA does not proceed more rapidly in the differentiating trophoblast than in the inner cell mass.
The Spatial Interdependence of FDI in Latin America

Summary Using a sample of 17 Latin American countries, with observations during 1986–2006, two forms of spatial interdependence of foreign direct investment (FDI) are explored: (1) surrounding market potential, and (2) spatial autocorrelation. We find that surrounding market potential has a positive significant effect on net FDI, but there is no evidence that FDI is spatially autocorrelated. Other factors that show a significant positive effect on FDI include control of corruption and exports of raw materials. When considering only FDI inflows from the US, we find that FDI is spatially autocorrelated, and that surrounding market potential is not significant.
Aptitude Theory: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

The concept of aptitude is reviewed and reconstructed. Its original sense of reciprocity between person and situation and appropriateness of person-situation fit is restored. Modern interpretation thus emphasizes readiness to learn in particular instructional situations and recognizes conative and affective as well as cognitive sources of aptitude. Limitations of old aptitude theories are noted. Requirements for new aptitude theories are listed. A new conceptual language for aptitude theory is suggested by the Thorndike-Thomson sampling theory, Gibson's (1966, 1979) affordance theory, and Simon's (1969) artifact theory, in combination with implications from current research.
Analytic solution to free vibration of rectangular plates

Abstract The Analytical Strip Method (ASM) is presented for the free flexural vibration problem of rectangular plates with intermediate flexible supports and different edge conditions. Orthotropic plates and plates having single or multiple step variation in thickness are considered. The plate is divided into strips, the number of which depends on the geometric discontinuities. The solution employs the classical method of separation of variables, and the deflection for each plate strip is expressed in a single trigonometric series. Results are presented and, when possible, compared with previously published ones.
Automated quantification of aortoaortic and aortoiliac angulation for computed tomographic angiography of abdominal aortic aneurysms before endovascular repair: preliminary study.

The degree of angulation of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) has emerged as an important factor in assessing eligibility for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). The authors developed an automatic algorithm that reduces variability of measurement of aortoiliac angulation. For highly structured manual methods, intraobserver variability was 8.2 degrees ± 5.0 (31% ± 20) and interobserver variability was 5.6 degrees ± 2.5 (20% ± 9.1) compared with 0.6 degrees ± 0.8 (2.2% ± 3.6) (intraobserver) and 0.4 degrees ± 0.4 (1.4% ± 1.9) (interobserver) for the automatic algorithm ( P P
A model for H2O solubility mechanisms in albite melts from infrared spectroscopy and molecular orbital calculations

Infrared spectra of H2O- andD2O-NaAlSi3O8 (albite) glasses were measured and contain two major differences from the anhydrous glass spectra. The first is the presence of a number of bands above 3000 cm−1 arising from O-H stretching modes. The second change in hydrous glass spectra is the appearance of a shoulder at approximately 900 cm−1. No frequency shift of the 900 cm−1 shoulder was detected with H-D substitution. We conclude, based on our infrared spectra and molecular orbital calculations as well as previous NMR (Kohn et al., 1989) and Raman (Mysen and Virgo, 1986a) spectra, that the 900 cm−1 band in the vibrational spectra of H2O-albite glass arises from an Al-(OH) stretching vibration in an Al Q3 site. The model proposed in this paper is that below 30 mol% [H2O]tot, molecular water interacts with the network A13+ to produce Al-(OH) and a minor concentration of Si-(OH) bonds. Above 30 mol% [H2O]tot, the dominant species is molecular H2O and H+ exchanges with Na+ at the charge-balancing site to produce molecular NaOH or hydrated Na+(H2O)n, complexes in the melt.
Generation of stable test atmospheres of cocaine base and its pyrolyzate, methylecgonidine, and demonstration of their biological activity

Generating controlled test atmospheres of known chemical identity and airborne concentration upon demand is a significant technical obstacle that limits the scope and repeatability of studies of inhaled substances. We addressed this problem as applied to the generation of atmospheres that result from heating crack cocaine, which include both cocaine and its pyrolyzate methylecgonidine (MEG). A condensation aerosol generator was used to generate atmospheres comprised of monodisperse particles of cocaine, MEG, or mixtures of both that are of submicron size suitable for deposition in the alveolar region of primates. Compressed air seeded with nanometer-size sodium chloride particles was passed through a constant depth of molten cocaine or MEG in a bead bed, reheated, and condensed to an aerosol within an annulus of cold air. To achieve control of a mixture of both compounds, MEG was condensed onto cocaine particles in a separate coating step. On-line analytical instruments provided verification of airborne concentration, estimates of particle size, and dispersion as well as chemical identity. Specific airway conductance (SGaw), heart rate, and rectal and skin temperatures were measured in squirrel monkeys breathing atmospheres containing condensation aerosols of cocaine or MEG free base. SGaw was reduced after inhalation of either base, and both induced temperature and cardiovascular changes, demonstrating that the aerosols so generated had biological activity.