cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Examination of Prepartying and Drinking Game Playing during High School and Their Impact on Alcohol-Related Risk upon Entrance into College.

Prepartying and drinking game playing are associated with excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol-related negative consequences in college populations; however, research exploring the prevalence of these high risk drinking contexts among high school students, and how such engagement may impact both high school and subsequent college drinking risk, is lacking. The current study, which is the first study to assess prepartying during high school, examined how engaging in either prepartying or drinking game playing during high school was associated with risky high school drinking as well as alcohol use and consequences during the transitional first month of college. The study involved 477 first-year college students, the majority of whom were 18 years old (94%), female (66%), and Caucasian (59%). Prepartying was found to be highly prevalent in high school (45%). Further, students who prepartied or played drinking games during high school drank significantly more in high school than students who did not engage in these high risk activities. Finally, prepartying and game playing during high school were associated with greater collegiate alcohol consumption (controlling for high school drinking) and consequences (controlling for both high school and college drinking). This study establishes prepartying and drinking games as common high risk activities among both high school and incoming first-year college students, and addresses implications for prevention and targeted interventions.
Assessment of Functional Vision Performance: A New Test for Low Vision Patients

Measures of functional vision are needed to assess elderly low vision patients, their success in using devices, and their ability to manage outside the treatment setting. A new test devised to measure functional ability through the performance of everyday tasks was administered to 94 patients who had acuities of 20/100 or worse in their better eye. Consisting of three versions and four subtests: spot reading, short-term text reading, identifying paper currency and clock reading, the test used standardized items and was timed. In a multiple regression model predicting test performance higher scores were associated with better near acuity (P = .002), higher education (P = .022) and higher levels of self-reported visual skills (P = .072). These predictors plus distance acuity, age and sex only accounted for 35 percent of the variance in test scores. Repeated administration of the test to a different group of 21 patients showed the test to be reliable (intraclass correlation = .85, P < .01) and to have no practice or version effects or differences between raters. This new test may be useful for natural history studies and clinical trials involving low vision patients but further evaluation of its sensitivity to change over time is required.
Genetic and environmental influences on antisocial behavior: a meta-analysis of twin and adoption studies.

A meta-analysis of 51 twin and adoption studies was conducted to estimate the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on antisocial behavior. The best fitting model included moderate proportions of variance due to additive genetic influences (.32), nonadditive genetic influences (.09), shared environmental influences (.16), and nonshared environmental influences (.43). The magnitude of familial influences (i.e., both genetic and shared environmental influences) was lower in parent-offspring adoption studies than in both twin studies and sibling adoption studies. Operationalization, assessment method, zygosity determination method, and age were significant moderators of the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on antisocial behavior, but there were no significant differences in the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences for males and females.
Synchronous generator capability curve testing and evaluation

In the late 1980s, a variation in system characteristics in the Upper Ohio Valley resulted in changes in system performance. When the changes in system performance varied to a sufficient extent, the utilities in the upper Ohio Valley decided to perform a voltage coordination study. One facet of this study consisted of conducting MVAr capability range tests on all the synchronous generators comprising the Ohio Edison System. This study produced some interesting results relating to the validity of the synchronous generator capability curves supplied by the manufacturers as well as operating practices in the plants themselves. Operating the synchronous generators within limited MVAr ranges masked other problems which were not discovered until the synchronous generator MVAr capability range tests were performed. >
Between- and within-sex variation in hormonal responses to psychological stress in a large sample of college students

This study investigated (1) sex differences in hormonal responses to psychosocial stress; (2) the relation between variability in pre-test hormone concentrations and stress-induced hormonal changes; and (3) some possible sources of within-sex variation in pre-test hormone concentrations and in hormonal responses to the test in a large human subject population. To this end, changes in salivary concentrations of testosterone and cortisol in response to a mild psychosocial stressor (a set of computerized economic decision-making tests) were measured in a sample of over 500 MBA students. Males had higher concentrations of testosterone and cortisol than females both before and after the test. After taking effects of time of testing on hormone concentrations into account, testosterone showed a post-test decrease in males but not in females. Cortisol level increased in both sexes but the post-test increase was larger in females than in males. At the individual level, the pre-test concentrations of testosterone and cortisol predicted both the direction and the magnitude of the post-test hormone change, so that low pre-test hormone concentrations showed large post-test increases whereas high pre-test concentrations showed large post-test decreases. Within-sex variation in hormone concentrations was not accounted for by variation in 2D:4D digit length ratio, a marker of prenatal androgen exposure, but by social variables. Single males without a stable romantic partner had higher testosterone level than males with stable partners, and both males and females without a partner showed a greater cortisol response to the test than married individuals with or without children. Studies conducted with large sample sizes such as this one can help understand normative patterns of hormonal responses to psychosocial stimuli as well as identify the sources of interindividual variation in endocrine function.
CXCL9 and CXCL10 Chemokines as Predictors of Liver Fibrosis in a Cohort of Primarily African-American Injection Drug Users With Chronic Hepatitis C

CXCL9 (monokine induced by IFN γ [Mig]) and CXCL10 (interferon [IFN] γ-inducible protein 10 [IP-10]) have been associated with hepatic fibrosis in predominantly white hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. We investigated their potential as noninvasive markers of hepatic fibrosis and fibrosis progression in African-American patients. Peripheral chemokine levels were measured in 115 HCV-infected patients within 4 months of liver biopsy; patients underwent a second biopsy after 3-5 years. CXCL10 levels appeared to be higher in patients with advanced fibrosis on the contemporaneous biopsy and were significantly higher in patients with advanced fibrosis compared with those with minimal fibrosis on the later biopsy (P = .0045). Therefore, CXCL10 has potential as a marker of fibrosis progression in African-American HCV-infected patients.
Intracellular Mg2+ regulates ADP phosphorylation and adenine nucleotide synthesis in human erythrocytes

13C- and31P-NMR were used in methylene blue-treated human erythrocytes to determine the dependence on intracellular Mg2+ concentration ([Mg2+]i) of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), the glycolyt...
Choroid plexus papilloma in a dog.

A 6-year-old female Cocker Spaniel with a choroid plexus papilloma had clinical signs of disease of the central nervous system for 1 month. The neoplasm originated from the right choroid plexus of the fourth ventricle and had displaced contiguous parts of the medulla oblongata and cerebellum. It was well differentiated and was composed of papillae arranged in an arboriform pattern. The papillae were lined by a single layer of non ciliated epithelium. Choroid plexus papillomas, which are gliomas derived from the epithelium of the choroid plexus, have been described in the dog (l-9, 111. Neoplasia of the choroid plexus is rare in humans (lo) and dogs (4). One survey, however, showed 15 plexus papillomas in dogs, and these investigators concluded that plexus papillomas are commoner in the dog than in man (7). In adult humans, choroid plexus papillomas are found most frequently in the fourth ventricle, whereas in children they are found most frequently in the lateral ventricles (7). In the dog this tumor occurs frequently in the fourth ventricle (2) and is usually diagnosed during the first decade of life. As is evident from published cases, plexus papillomas, in contrast to other neuroepithelial tumors (7), apparently have no predilection for brachyce- phalic dogs. This report records another choroid plexus papilloma in a dog.
Some Realism About Reorganization: Explaining the Failure of Chapter 11 Theory

This paper, written while I was a practicing lawyer, examines several leading theoretical alternatives to chapter 11 and explains why these theories never gained traction outside the academy.
Unheard Voices in American Political Discourse: Black Women, Community Politics, and the 'New Jim Crow'

In this paper I consider the political biographies of U.S. Congresswoman from Los Angeles, Barbara Lee; former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney; Bertha Lewis, former director of Acorn, current chair person for the Black Institute; to uncover and explore alternative practices and articulations of citizenship and democracy that are rooted in the experiences of diverse women of African descent. In this paper, I attempt to both describe and theorize black women’s political activism, using their own words, as much as possible. I try to understand how they have worked within and outside established domains of governance to address unjust power-relationships rooted in racism, sexism, and state-sponsored violence directed toward people of color at home and abroad. In this paper, I use a combination of sources of evidence, including personal interviews, media interviews, and political biographies assembled through new articles, web pages, video taped speeches, blog posts, and autobiographic writings by each activist.
Norepinephrine turnover in iron deficiency at three environmental temperatures

Iron-deficient anemic rats had a significant elevation in urinary norepinephrine (NE) after 7 days at 30 and 24 degrees C, but not at 10 degrees C, compared with control animals. NE turnover studies were performed to examine sympathetic nervous system activity in a tissue-specific fashion. NE content in myocardium decreased by nearly 50% in hypertrophied iron-deficient hearts at all three temperatures, whereas fractional turnover rates were compensatorily increased. In contrast, interscapular brown adipose tissue NE turnover was significantly reduced to 30% of normal in iron-deficient animals at both 30 and 10 degrees C. Serum triiodothyronine concentrations were similar to controls at 30 degrees C but were decreased at lower temperatures. Serum tetraiodothyronine concentrations were lower in iron-deficient animals at all three environmental temperatures. We conclude that increased sympathetic nervous system activity compensatory to temperatures below thermoneutrality is less well controlled in iron-deficient animals than in controls, and at a low environmental temperature this may possibly explain the poor thermoregulatory capacity of iron-deficient animals. A generalized hypernoradrenergic state is not supported by our NE turnover study and does not explain the elevated urine NE concentrations.
Sulfhydryl studies of spinach leaf glyoxylic acid reductase.

Abstract Spinach leaf glyoxylic acid reductase, an enzyme containing two identical or similar subunits, has been shown to have 12 half-cystine residues. Four of these are necessary for catalytic function and can be titrated as free sulfhydryl groups. One mole of cysteinyl residues per mole of enzyme is essential to catalytic activity when evaluated under conditions favoring optimal activity. All free sulfhydryl groups are located within a single peptide when peptide maps of tryptic hydrolysates are examined. Cooperative function of the free sulfhydryl groups is indicated and substrate protection from sulfhydryl reagents is shown. Two active sites and a close spatial relationship of the free sulfhydryl residues are suggested by these data.
Determining fluctuation in bio-nanomachines from electron microscopy images

Cryo electron microscopy leads to 3-D image reconstruction problems. The data is one projection of each of many different instances of the object. When the object is heterogeneous, it is natural to describe the object as stochastic with unknown statistics and seek to estimate the statistics from the image data. The result is not a unique reconstruction but rather a statistical description of an ensemble of reconstructions where the mean of the ensemble is a natural choice if a unique reconstruction is desired. This paper describes maximum likelihood methods for estimating the statistics via an expectation-maximization algorithm and multiple algorithmic optimizations to speed up the calculations.
Datacenter networks

In the tutorial, we review the structure of warehouse-scale computers (WSC) used in mega datacenters and discuss the optical networking technologies required to support the operation of warehouse-scale computing. Both inter-datacenter and intra-datacenter networks will be covered in this tutorial.
A Panglossian Analysis of the Abortion Controversy.

Professor Camosy is unhappy with my review of his book in this journal. He should be. I maintain, for the reasons I stated in my review, that the project he argues for in Beyond the Abortion Wars: ...
Fructosamine: How Useful Is It?

The goal of laboratory medicine is to provide laboratory tests that are useful to physicians in the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of their patients. The best laboratory medicine also encompasses participating in the care of patients by ensuring that these laboratory tests are wisely used. Probably the earliest example of the application of laboratory medicine to health care is the glucose test, which is necessary to diagnose diabetes mellitus and to guide its treatment and management. As the glucose concentration in blood can fluctuate widely in diabetic patients, a laboratory test capable of providing an indicator of glucose control with a single monthly measurement would be advantageous. The newest approach to meet this objective is determination of glycated proteins, or “fructosamine.” This article will review what fructosamine is, how it is measured, and how it is being applied in the care of patients with diabetes. It will also make some concluding recommendations about whether fructosamine is a useful test and, if so, what clinical laboratories ought to do about it.
Photoelasto-plastic studies on brittle fracture of high-polymer solids: A simple photoelasto-plastic method for the determination of stress-concentration factors in plane-elasticity problems is suggested on the basis of experimental results

The mechanism of brittle fracture of high-polymer solids is experimentally investigated under one-or two-dimensional stress states by a new photoelastoplastic method suggested by the author. The application of the photoelasto-plastic method on the brittle-fracture problem is based on the principle that breaking stress can be computed in brittle fracture by the measurement of the fringe orderNB of isochromatic lines at fracture point.
Atmospheric Oxidation of Fluorinated Ethers, E143a (CF3OCH3), E134 (CHF2OCHF2), and E125 (CHF2OCF3)

The atmospheric oxidation mechanisms of E143a (CF3OCH3), E134 (CHF2OCHF2), and E125 (CHF2OCF3) have been investigated using experimental and ab initio methodology. The oxidation of E143a produces the stable reservoir species trifluoromethyl formate, CF3OCOH, which further oxidizes to CF2O and CO2. Oxidation of E134 and E125 shows the presence of only CF2O under the condition of high O2 concentrations. Carbonyl fluoride can be formed from two competing pathways involving the halogenated alkyl radicals formed from hydrogen abstraction of E134 and E125. CO bond fission reactions and O2 addition reactions compete to produce carbonyl fluoride and a CFxH3-x radical fragment. Computational modeling of the reaction pathways provides insight into the molecular steps of the degradation process.
The ASC Division on Women and Crime From 30 Years Out

The Division on Women and Crime (DWC) of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) is celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2014. Anniversaries are good times to reflect on where we have come from and where we are going. This article traces the history and origins of the DWC from its inception in the 1970s, through its struggles in the 1980s to win recognition within the ASC, to its current status today as one of the largest and most vibrant divisions within the ASC. The discussion includes the DWC’s development within a traditionally male-dominated profession and parallel to the emergence of the women’s movement in the United States, along with an analysis of specific strategies employed by the DWC which helped to make it successful within that context.
Monitoring of the humoral immunity to pertussis,diphtheria and tetanus in the healthy population of Bao'an district,Shenzhen city

Objective To determine the levels of serum antibodies against pertussis,diphtheria,and tetanus after immunization in the Bao'an district,Shenzhen city,and to evaluate the effectiveness of immunization.Method 360 persons were selected from 7 towns in Bao'an in 2011 and the levels serum antibodies to pertussis,diphtheria,and tetanus were monitored by the test-tube agglutination method.Results The protection rate and geometric mean titer of tetanus was 98.33% and 1:80.63,respective.The protection rate and geometric titer of diphtheria was 98.06% and 1:80.48,respectively.The protection rate and geometric titer of pertussis was 98.33% and 1:1 409.35,respectively.The protection rate and geometric titer of tetanus,diphtheria and pertussis were significantly decreased with increasing age.Conclusions The immunization level of pertussis,diphtheria,and tetanus was relatively high in the Bao'an district,Shenzhen city.The chance of the outbreak for these diseases was low.
A new path-dependent fatigue damage model for non-proportional multi-axial loading

Abstract This paper presents a new path-dependent multi-axial fatigue damage model which is formulated based on an incremental form of Moment of Load Path (MLP) on either σ - β τ stress plane or e - β e γ strain plane. The resulting MLP-based fatigue damage parameter can be shown to be related to an integral form of strain energy densities contributed by normal and shear deformation and each weighted by a path-dependent function. Then, the MLP-based damage parameter in terms of either equivalent stress range or strain range, in conjunction with path-dependent maximum-range cycle counting procedure (Dong et al., 2010; Wei and Dong, 2010), has been shown effective in correlating a large amount of test data obtained under non-proportional multi-axial loading conditions both for welded joints under stress-controlled conditions in high cycle fatigue regime and non-welded components under strain-controlled conditions in low-cycle regime.
Salt and Water Regulation in Macrobdella Decora (Hirudinea: Gnathobdelliformes) Under Osmotic Stress

The anatomy, infrastructure and innervation of the nephridia of the North American leech, Macrobdella decora (Say), are described. The osmotic concentrations of blood, crop fluid and final urine, as well as urine flow under normal conditions, were found to be similar to those of the well-studied European medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis L. The capacity of the excretory system after changes in external salinity, and after salt and water loading with artificial blood meals, was investigated. In contrast to H. medicinalis, M. decora does not tolerate hypertonic environments and is less efficient in rapidly excreting excess salt and water. Three factors make salt and water regulation in M. decora different from that in H. medicinalis : a slower fluid resorption from the crop, a limited transport capacity of the primary urine-forming cells, and a lower rate of salt reabsorption in the central canal. Note: Dedicated to Professor Dr Ernst Florey on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
Agnostic Learning in Permutation-Invariant Domains

We generalize algorithms from computational learning theory that are successful under the uniform distribution on the Boolean hypercube l0, 1rn to algorithms successful on permutation-invariant distributions, distributions that stay invariant constant on permutating the coordinates in the instances. While the tools in our generalization mimic those used for the Boolean hypercube, the fact that permutation-invariant distributions are not product distributions presents a significant obstacle.We prove analogous results for permutation-invariant distributions; more generally, we work in the domain of the symmetric group. We define noise sensitivity in this setting and show that noise sensitivity has a nice combinatorial interpretation in terms of Young tableaux. The main technical innovations involve techniques from the representation theory of the symmetric group, especially the combinatorics of Young tableaux. We show that low noise sensitivity implies concentration on “simple” components of the Fourier spectrum and that this fact will allow us to agnostically learn halfspaces under permutation-invariant distributions to constant accuracy in roughly the same time as in the uniform distribution over the Boolean hypercube case.
A semelparous fish continues upstream migration when exposed to alarm cue, but adjusts movement speed and timing

Animals make trade-offs between predation risk and pursuit of opportunities such as foraging and reproduction. Trade-offs between antipredator behaviours and foraging are well suited to manipulation in laboratory and field settings and have generated a vast compendium of knowledge. However, much less is known about how animals manage trade-offs between predation risk and pursuit of reproductive opportunities in the absence of the confounding effects of foraging. In the present study, we investigated how the nonfeeding migratory life stage of sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus , responds to odour from dead conspecifics (a cue that induces avoidance behaviours in laboratory and field studies). We released groups of PIT-tagged sea lamprey 65 m from the shore of Lake Michigan or 287 m upstream in Carp Lake River and used antennas to detect their movements in the river. As the breeding season progressed, sea lamprey initiated upstream movement earlier and were more likely to enter the river. Sea lamprey that began the night in Lake Michigan entered Carp Lake River at higher rates and accelerated upstream when exposed to high concentrations of alarm cue, consistent with animals attempting to minimize time spent in risky areas. Sea lampreys that began the night in the river delayed upstream movement when exposed to alarm cue, consistent with animals sheltering and gathering information about a source of risk. We attribute this context-specific reaction to alarm cue to differences in perceived vulnerability to predation in sheltered positions in the river versus exposed positions in the lake. Once in the river, the vast majority of sea lamprey moved upstream independent of alarm cue or Julian date. Although life-history-induced time and energy budgets place rigid constraints on the direction of migration, sea lamprey attend to predation risk by modifying movement timing and speed.
Precise Timing for Multiband OFDM in a UWB System

Precise positioning is one attractive application of ultra wideband (UWB) systems. Its enormous bandwidth has generated high expectation on the spatial resolution that it could achieve. However, synchronization in the presence of dense multipath is challenging, since the first arrival is not necessarily the strongest one due to channel fading. It is unclear how high a spatial resolution can be realized in practical implementation, and how reliable it will be. We in this paper address practical synchronization algorithms for multiband OFDM UWB transmission, and analyze the performance of a maximum likelihood (ML) joint timing/channel estimation algorithm. We show that the probability of mis-timing in single band OFDM has only diversity order one. Most timing errors lie closely around the right timing, as we show that the probability of timing error equal to or greater than Delta having diversity order of min(Delta, L), where L the number of channel taps. We reveal the benefit of frequency hopping across multiple subbands that enables an NB-fold diversity increase in timing performance, where NB is the number of subbands used
Correcting for Tip Geometry Effects in Molecular Simulations of Single-Asperity Contact

Molecular simulation is a powerful tool for studying the nanotribology of single-asperity contacts, but computational limits require that compromises be made when choosing tip sizes. To assess and correct for the finite size effects, complementary finite element (FE) and molecular statics (MS) simulations examining the effects of tip size (height and radius) on contact stiffness and stress were performed. MS simulations of contact between paraboloidal tips and a flat, rigid diamond substrate using the 2B-SiCH reactive empirical bond-order potential were used to generate force–displacement curves and stress maps. Tips of various radii and heights, truncated by a rigid boundary, were formed from carbon- and silicon-containing materials so that they possessed differing elastic properties. Results were compared to FE simulations with matching geometries and elastic properties. FE analysis showed that the rigid boundary at the back of the tip influences the contact stiffness strongly, deviating from the Hertz model for small tip heights and radii. By examining the relationships between force, tip height, tip radii, and elastic properties obtained with FE simulations, a map interpolation method is presented that accounts for the effect of tip size and enables the extraction of Young’s modulus from MS force–displacement data. Furthermore, the FE results show that the effect of the finite size of the tip on contact stress is less pronounced than its effect on stiffness. The MS simulations also demonstrate that stress propagation within the tip is significantly impacted by the structure of the tip.
Case 25-2017

A 45-year-old man presented with headache, fever, and lymphadenopathy. He had abnormal results on liver-function tests, a normal white-cell count with neutrophil predominance, atypical lymphocytes, mild anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Diagnostic tests were performed.
Administration of orexin A in the posterior paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus promotes cocaine-seeking behavior and is associated with hypothalamic activation

Hypothalamic orexin (Orx) neurons that project to the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) have received growing interest because of their role in drug-seeking behavior. When injected in the posterior PVT (pPVT), OrxA reinstated extinguished cocaine-seeking behavior in rats that had long access (LgA) to cocaine for 6 h/day after an intermediate period of abstinence (I-Abst, 2-3 weeks). Considering the long-lasting nature of drug-seeking behavior and that the PVT sends projections to the hypothalamus, the present study examined whether (i) OrxA prime effect is preserved after a period of protracted abstinence (P-Abst, 4-5 weeks) in LgA rats and (ii) the neural activation pattern (i.e., Fos+ and Fos+/Orx+ cells) in the lateral hypothalamus (LH), dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), and perifornical area (PFA) following intrapPVT OrxA administration that may explain OrxA-induced reinstatement in LgA animals. As reported previously, OrxA administration in the pPVT triggered cocaine-seeking behavior after I-Abst. With P-Abst, the priming effect of OrxA was absent. An intra-pPVT injection of OrxA produced a strong increase in neuronal activation (i.e., Fos expression) in the LH/DMH/PFA at I-Abst but not at P-Abst. The analysis of the activation (Fos+) of Orx neurons (Orx+) revealed an increase in Fos+/Orx+ expression in the LH/DMH/PFA at I-Abst only, thus paralleling the behavioral data. These data indicate that shortly after abstinence, PVT-LH/DMH/PFA connections are strongly recruited in animals with a history of cocaine dependence. The lack of effect at P-Abst suggests that the function of Orx receptors and connectivity of the PVT-LH/DMH/PFA circuit undergo significant neuroadaptations following P-Abst.
Controlled Exposures of Asthmatics to Air Pollutants

Publisher Summary In general, controlled exposure studies of airborne pollutants are performed in a facility with an exposure chamber in which not only the level of the pollutant of interest is controlled, but also other factors, including temperature, relative humidity, light, and sound levels. The actual dose of the pollutant depends on the concentration of the pollutant, the duration of exposure, and the ventilation rate of the subject, which is usually manipulated by exercise. Exercise also is important in determining whether nasal or oronasal breathing occurs. An important criticism of most controlled exposure studies is that the level of the pollutant employed to show an effect is often much higher than that which is actually encountered with ambient pollution. However, it should be noted that, for ethical and practical reasons, most controlled exposure studies of asthmatics only include subjects with mild disease. Subjects with mild disease are likely to have less airway inflammation than those with more significant disease. If the effect of air pollutants is because of an ability to alter airway inflammation, then subjects with more significant disease are likely to respond to lower levels of pollutants. Likewise, the interaction of pollutants with allergen also is important and the level of pollutant needed to alter allergen-induced responses may be less than that required to have a more overt effect on the airway itself.
Creativity Fostering Teaching: Impact of Creative Self-efficacy and Teacher Efficacy

Teachers who foster creativity of their students bequeath one of the most crucial skills. This study aims to reveal the connection between two teacher-related factors, (i.e., creative self-efficacy and teacher efficacy), and teachers’ creativity fostering behaviors. Teachers’ creative self-efficacy could impact their creative teaching performance because of their natural inclination to be creative and serve as a role model. Teacher efficacy had two aspects: internal and external. Internal aspect of teacher efficacy was expected to relate to their creativity fostering behaviors because teachers have to take initiative and have internal locus of control to teach more creatively under the system-wide constraints. No hypothesis was made for the external factors. Creativity fostering teacher behaviors were regressed on teacher efficacy and creative self- efficacy after controlling demographic variables. As hypothesized, teachers’ self-efficacy and internal aspects of teacher efficacy predicted creativity fostering teacher behaviors whereas external aspect of teacher efficacy was not significant. More experienced teachers seemed to be more teacher-centered than student-centered. Results were discussed in terms of teachers as creative role models and internal locus of control.
A Theoretically Consistent Framework for Modelling Lagrangian Particle Deposition in Plant Canopies

We present a theoretically consistent framework for modelling Lagrangian particle deposition in plant canopies. The primary focus is on describing the probability of particles encountering canopy elements (i.e., potential deposition), and provides a consistent means for including the effects of imperfect deposition through any appropriate sub-model for deposition efficiency. Some aspects of the framework draw upon an analogy to radiation propagation through a turbid medium with which to develop model theory. The present method is compared against one of the most commonly used heuristic Lagrangian frameworks, namely that originally developed by Legg and Powell (Agricultural Meteorology, 1979, Vol. 20, 47–67), which is shown to be theoretically inconsistent. A recommendation is made to discontinue the use of this heuristic approach in favour of the theoretically consistent framework developed herein, which is no more difficult to apply under equivalent assumptions. The proposed framework has the additional advantage that it can be applied to arbitrary canopy geometries given readily measurable parameters describing vegetation structure.
Cleaning a Cold Cathode Gauge Tube

This topic appeared on the MSA list server In December 2002 and January 2003. While cleaning my gauge tube recently, I documented the steps. In this article I describe cleaning a Varian 524-2 gauge tube. There are a number of other cold cathode and penning style gauge tubes on the market, Edwards CP-25 (old penning), CVC GPH-001A(old cold cathode), Pfeiffer IRK 250 (new cold cathode) to name a few. The cleaning steps are very similar. Consult the instructions that came with the gauge tube or visit the vendor's websites.
The effect of physician office visits on CHD risk factor modification as part of a worksite cholesterol screening program.

Background.Elevated serum cholesterol is a major risk factor for CHD. Primary prevention through behavioral modification has been designated first-line treatment for patients with elevated cholesterol. In this study, we assessed the impact of a physician office visit after a worksite cholesterol screening on self-reported changes in diet, weight loss, exercise, and smoking. We hypothesized that those individuals who had a physician office visit regarding cholesterol would make more changes in CHD risk factors than those who did not have such a visit. Methods.A cohort of 4,928 participants from 33 work-sites in Massachusetts and Rhode Island had baseline CHD risk factors evaluated at a cholesterol screening and 4,473 were available at follow-up 6 months later by telephone interview. A total of 1,957 had elevated cholesterol levels (≥200 mg;/dl) and were instructed to visit their physician, in addition to receiving educational materials related to CHD risk factor modification. Results.Most individuals with elevated cholesterol levels had other prevalent self-reported CHD risk factors at baseline: 58% consumed high-fat diets (>30% fat), 43% were overweight, 60% had a sedentary lifestyle (sweat-related physical activity <3 × per week), and 22% were cigarette smokers. After 6 months of follow-up, 74% of participants with high-fat diets reported eating a lower fat diet, 71% of overweight participants reported weight loss, 53% of sedentary participants attempted to increase physical activity, and 38% of smokers decreased or quit cigarette smoking. Thirty-five percent of participants completed the referral for a physician office visit to discuss their elevated cholesterol determined at the baseline worksite screening. However, these individuals showed only a modest change (which was not statistically significant) in self-reported CHD risk factors compared with those who did not have follow-up physician visits after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, occupation, medical insurance, time since last doctor visit, diabetes, and hypertension. Objective measurements of serum cholesterol, body mass index, and dietary score were likewise modestly improved and not statistically significant. Conclusions.In 6 months of follow-up, high absolute levels of CHD risk factor modification were observed after a worksite cholesterol screening. A physician office visit added only a modest but not statistically significant benefit for further CHD risk factor modification. These findings indicate that the follow-up cholesterol-related physician visit had little added clinical benefit over the screening intervention alone.
Baby Boom: Symbolic Computation

The Bureau of the Census estimates that the resident population of the United States on January 1, 1994, was 259,167,000 and that it had increased to 261,638,000 by January 1, 1995. Although these are only estimates that are retroactively revised from time to time, we will entertain ourselves in this chapter by pretending that they are exact. More precisely, we will pretend that the first figure was the exact population at midnight when 1994 began, and that the latter figure was the exact population at midnight when 1994 ended. Our goal is to develop a way to determine the population of the United States at any instant of time during 1994.
Zero Sets for Fock Spaces

In this chapter, we study zero sets for the Fock spaces F α p . Throughout this book, we say that a sequence Z = { z n } ⊂ Ω is a zero set for a space X of analytic functions in Ω if there exists a function f ∈ X, not identically zero, such that Z is exactly the zero sequence of f, counting multiplicities.
Escherichia coli 16S rRNA 3'-end formation requires a distal transfer RNA sequence at a proper distance

The 16S rRNA species in bacterial precursor rRNAs is followed by two evolutionarily conserved features: (i) a double-stranded stem formed by complementary sequences adjacent to the 5' and 3' ends of the 16S rRNA; and (ii) a 3'-transfer RNA sequence. To assess the possible role of these features, plasmid constructs with precursor-specific features deleted were tested for their capacity to form mature rRNA. Stem-forming sequences were dispensable for both 5' and 3' terminus formation; whereas an intact spacer tRNA positioned greater than 24 nucleotides downstream of the 16S RNA sequence was required for correct 3'-end maturation. These results suggest that spacer tRNA at an appropriate location helps form a conformation obligate for pre-rRNA processing, perhaps by binding to a nascent binding site in preribosomes. Thus, spacer tRNAs may be an obligate participant in ribosome formation.
On the Use of Hair Analysis for Assessing Arsenic Intoxication

Correlations between the concentrations of arsenic in scalp hair and in drinking water as well as in blood and/or urine have been reported. These correlations clearly show exposure–absorption–excretion relationships. In addition, arsenic metabolites such as monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid have been identified and quantified in these tissues and fluids, leaving little doubt that elevated levels of arsenic in the hair can reflect systemic arsenic intoxication. Consequently, hair analysis has potential merit as a screening procedure for poisoning by arsenic. However, questions regarding the exogenous versus the endogenous deposition of arsenic in the hair, and uncertainties about the normal level of arsenic in the hair remain unresolved. Pending their resolution, the determination of arsenic in hair should remain a screening tool, and clinical signs and symptoms should be employed to complete the diagnosis of arsenic poisoning.
Extraskeletal Calcifications in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome.

Abstract Purpose Children with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), a rare premature aging disease, exhibit extraskeletal calcifications detected by radiographic analysis and on physical examination. The aim of this study was to describe the natural history and pathophysiology of these abnormal calcifications in HGPS, and to determine whether medications and/or supplements tested in clinical trials alter their development. Methods Children from two successive clinical trials administering 1) lonafarnib (n = 26) and 2) lonafarnib + pravastatin + zoledronic acid (n = 37) were studied at baseline (pre-therapy), one year on therapy, and at end-of-therapy (3.3–4.3 years after the baseline visit). Calcium supplementation (oral calcium carbonate) was administered during the first year of the second trial and was subsequently discontinued. Information on calcifications was obtained from physical examinations, radiographs, and serum and urinary biochemical measures. The mineral content of two skin-derived calcifications was determined by x-ray diffraction. Results Extraskeletal calcifications were detected radiographically in 12/39 (31%) patients at baseline. The odds of exhibiting calcifications increased with age (p = 0.045). The odds were unaffected by receipt of lonafarnib, pravastatin, and zoledronate therapies. However, administration of calcium carbonate supplementation, in conjunction with all three therapeutic agents, significantly increased the odds of developing calcifications (p = 0.009), with the odds plateauing after the supplement's discontinuation. Composition analysis of calcinosis cutis showed hydroxyapatite similar to bone. Although serum calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were within normal limits at baseline and on-therapy, PTH increased significantly after lonafarnib initiation (p Conclusions Extraskeletal calcifications increased with age in children with HGPS and were composed of hydroxyapatite. The urinary calcium/creatinine ratio and TRP were elevated for age while FGF23 was decreased. Magnesium decreased and PTH increased after lonafarnib therapy which may alter the ability to mobilize calcium. These findings demonstrate that children with HGPS with normal renal function and an unremarkable Ca × Pi develop extraskeletal calcifications by an unidentified mechanism that may involve decreased plasma magnesium and FGF23. Calcium carbonate accelerated their development and is, therefore, not recommended for routine supplementation in these children.
Music listening and cultural adaptation: How different languages of songs affect Chinese international students’ uses of music and cultural adaptation in the United States

This study investigates music listening of Chinese international students and examines: (1) how listening to music in different languages (English or Chinese) affects Chinese international students...
Delinquency, Sociology of

This article examines the basic features of the sociology of delinquency, including its foundation, evolution, and contemporary forms. Early perspectives are outlined and the contributions of scholars identified. A major methodological innovation, the self-report study, set the stage for scientific tests of theories, and attention shifted from the study of gangs to the study of delinquent behavior. Social control and social learning theories grew in popularity using the method. Recent research has returned to the study of gangs using the method. New sociological theories have been proposed and can be categorized in terms of their links to early perspectives. The article ends with a brief outline of recommendations for the future study of the sociology of delinquency.
On the Strength of Hair across Species

Summary The hair of mammals varies in diameter across species from ∼60 μm in humans to over ∼400 μm in giraffes and elephants. Here, we establish that the tensile strength of hair generally decreases with increasing diameter. Although there is a commonality in the morphology of the hair in such differing species as they all possess a cortex surrounded by cuticles, there are also significant differences in the hierarchical structure that contribute to the observed differences in strength. In this work, the internal structure of the hair from different species is examined, with some unique peculiarities in javelina and capybara hair uncovered. The dimensional dependence of hair strength is compared using Weibull predictions. The good correlation of the strength of hair using such Weibull analysis suggests that the failure strength is dictated by the probability distribution of flaws within the cortex.
Marine and Estuarine Ecology – Our Oceans as the Last Frontier on Earth

Sylvia A. Earle (1996) noted in her acclaimed work Sea Change that “Far and away the greatest threat to the sea and to the future of mankind is ignorance” (p. xxi). When a world-renowned scientist and marine biologist makes this point, it is clear that today we are steeped in ignorance about the oceans that cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface. We must pause to reflect on what the oceans do for humankind so that we can put into clearer perspective the tasks we need to perform to protect this resource. As the most probable venue for the origin of life, the sea represents our primordial beginnings. Oceanographers have defined specific zones in the ocean for study: the littoral zone, pelagic zone, and the abyssal zone, each dependent on a particular water depth and resultant sunlight penetration to blooming plankton. As the largest portion of the biosphere, the oceans are highly impacted due to the concentration of humans along the coastal edge (Ellis 2001). In close proximity of the continental shelves, we transport our increasing demands for commodities directly influencing all oceans. Human habitation and human societal demands have determined our knowledge base, only to the point where these ecosystems meet our ever-growing needs (Turekian 1968).
E-135 Mechanical thrombectomy for small and medium vessel occlusion: a rural experience

Recent clinical trials have established that treatment of acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion with mechanical thrombectomy leads to improved revascularization and functional outcomes. Thus, the guidelines in treatment of ischemic stroke have been updated to reflect the results found in current literature. However, thrombectomy of small and medium vessel occlusions are a more controversial topic. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the outcomes of patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke secondary to more distal vessel occlusion and to highlight process times and outcomes in a center that receives patients from rural and underserved areas. We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical record of 38 patients admitted to Sanford Health Cerebrovascular Service in Fargo, ND between March 2015 and May 2017 who underwent endovascular intervention for acute ischemic stroke secondary to a small caliber vessel occlusion. An average change in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 4.94 was observed after intervention with mechanical thrombectomy with 26.31% of patients having a decrease in NIHSS of 10 or more and 36.84% of patients having a reduction of 6 or more. Successful recanalization was achieved in 94.74% of cases. Given the high rates of revascularization and significant reductions in NIHSS scores, mechanical thrombectomy may be reasonably extended to patients with occlusion of smaller, more distal vessels. Disclosures N. Hopkins: None. V. Miller: None. M. Manchak: None. A. Drofa: 2; C; Medtronic, MicroVention. G. Sachdeva: None. E. Kouznetsov: None.