cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Stingray Spine in the Scapula of a Bottlenose Dolphin

A stingray spine was found lodged in the scapula of a deceased 272 cm, male bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) from South Carolina (USA) following skeletal preparation, nearly 6 mo after necropsy. No external puncture wound, internal bruising, or laceration of muscle tissue surrounding the scapula was evident during necropsy of the animal. Implantation of the spine did not appear to be related to the death of the dolphin, but probably occurred at an early age. Abnormal development of bone surrounding the spine resulted in the formation of a cavity at the wound site. Two mechanisms were considered as contributors for the cavity formation. These were the mechanical action of the spine stimulating the body's defense system for managing foreign objects, and the release of potent toxins from the spine sheath.
Genes and Recent Developments in the Epidemiology of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia

In the search for cause or prevention of Alzheimer's disease, the traditional aims of analytic epidemiology have been hindered by several technical difficulties. The heterogeneous genetic influences on Alzheimer's disease have probably contributed substantially to difficulties in the detection of host or environmental factors associated with modified disease risk. We have discussed five areas of improved technical or theoretical approach, each of which has materially improved the prospects for future success in this endeavor. Improved methods of diagnosis have yielded purer samples of "cases" and have made it more practical to undertake population-based studies. Genetic determinants of Alzheimer's disease risk are being understood with increasing sophistication. A growing recognition of the time-dependent nature of the Alzheimer process has led to new and heuristically valuable ways of thinking about the disease, its causes (genetic and otherwise), and its prevention. While there is a growing consensus that Alzheimer's disease is probably not one disease but several, the limited success of efforts to identify distinguishable phenotypes has largely given way to the identification of those with various measures of disease risk and (probably) mechanisms on the basis of identifiable genotypic variation. Thus, several forms of this disease may soon be segregated for separate analysis. Two of the predisposing genes have apparent implications for disease pathogenesis; others remain identified only as anonymous "loci" implicated by linkage analyses. The greater understanding of genetic mechanisms serves to enable not only studies of gene effects in pathogenesis, but also the influence of various environmental factors that may modify the effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Plasma renin activity and plasma renin substrate in hypertension associated with steroid excess.

28 patients with steroid excess syndromes were compared with 24 normal subjects as to plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma renin substrate (PRS). PRA and PRS were measured by radioimmunoassay of generated angiotensin 1. The Michaelis constant (Km) of the reaction between circulating renin and substrate was measured at pH 7.4 to assess the effect of changes in PRS in adjusting the velocity of the renin reaction. The expected suppression of PRA was observed in patients with primary aldosteronism; the renin substrate was slightly raised. Patients with Cushings syndrome or glucocorticoid therapy had PRS to twice normal levels; those with Cushings syndrome had variable PRA but was below the normal range in only 1 case. PRA was clearly elevated in patients on glucocorticoid therapy but caution must be observed in interpreting this finding because these subjects do not have a well-defined state of sodium balance. Patients on oral contraceptives had a most striking elevation of PRS; PRA was not significantly elevated. All patients with steroid excess syndromes have increased angiotensin 1 formation due to elevated renin substrate coupled with failure of suppression of circulating renin.
Effects of drugs and stimulation on 45 Ca movements in frog ventricle.

SummaryThe relation between contractile activity and Ca movements was studied in the frog heart by a method which permitted the continuous determination of cellular 45C uptake and of tension. In Ringer solution, stimulation increased 45Ca uptake but the extra uptake per beat was too small to explain the initiation of the contraction by itself, indicating the presence of an intracellular Ca store. In Ca-rich solution (30 mM) acetylcholine increased 45Ca uptake in quiescent preparations and at the same time induced or increased a contracture. Epinephrine also increased 45Ca uptake under these conditions, but caused a rapid drop in tension. These results suggest that both drugs increase the permeability of the membrane for Ca (Pca); the inhibitory action of epinephrine may be due to increased intracellular storage of Ca.This work was supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service Grants AM 0257-011 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, and HE 09884 from the National Heart and Lung...
Identifying Reasons for Readmission from the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit Compared to a General Neurology Hospital Service (P04.017)

Objective: To identify reasons for 30-day readmissions from the epilepsy monitoring unit, compared to a general neurology hospital service. Background Reducing readmissions has become a national target for health care reform, but this assumes that a significant proportion of readmissions are preventable. Very little has been published on reasons for readmissions in neurological patients. Without such information it is unclear if readmission rates are an appropriate measure of quality of care in these patient populations. Design/Methods: Patients readmitted to our hospital from 4/1/2011 to 9/30/2011, with any diagnosis, and within 30 days of discharge from either the epilepsy monitoring unit or the general neurology hospital service, were included in this analysis. We retrospectively analyzed, via manual chart review, the electronic medical record to identify reasons for readmission. Reasons for readmissions were classified as planned vs. unplanned, expected recurrence/progression of underlying disease, unexpected recurrence/progression, hospital-acquired complication of index admission, and unrelated to index admission. Results: Sixty-two total readmissions were reviewed. Overall readmit rates were 6% for epilepsy, 7.3% for neurology. Rates for planned readmissions were 40% for epilepsy, 18.5% for neurology, with higher rates observed among epilepsy patients due to readmission for planned epilepsy surgery. Expected recurrence/progression was the primary reason for readmission in 23% of all epilepsy and 48% of all neurological readmissions. Hospital-acquired complications explained 23% of epilepsy, and 11% of neurology readmissions. The most common hospital-acquired complication was medication-related adverse events. Conclusions: Rates of planned readmissions ranged from 20-40%, a fact easily overlooked in national payment reform programs which treat nearly all readmissions, planned and unplanned, equally. Expected recurrence or progression of underlying disease was the most common cause for readmission in both epilepsy and general neurology patient populations. Identifying reasons for readmissions is an important initial step toward the ultimate goal of reducing the number of preventable readmissions. Disclosure: Dr. Bautista has nothing to disclose.
Experimental stability of a time-delay system

The stability and complicated dynamics of a nonlinear single-DOF system subject to time-delay feedback is explored via analog-computer simulation. The system modeled is taken from machine-tool dynamics but is analogous to many other practical engineering systems. The experimental results validate the analytical and computational methods developed by Nayfeh et al. (1995). Good agreement between the theory and experiment is shown. A cyclic-fold bifurcation that leads to large-amplitude limit cycles is observed as predicted. Also, evidence of torus breakdown route to chaos is presented. The dynamics of the system is analyzed using a variety of techniques, including phase portraits, time traces, Poincare sections, power spectra, pseudo-state space construction, and pointwise dimension calculations. (Author)
CYCLICAL POLICY ON THE ADVERTISING APPROPRIATION

How should a company's advertising appropriation fluctuate with general business conditions? When national income (or any suitable index of the firm's demand) rises Io per cent, should promotional outlays also rise io per cent, or should they rise I5 per cent, 5 per cent, or not at all? This difficult question is important from the social as well as the private viewpoint, since there is at least some possibility that contracyclical advertising could help to reduce fluctuations in business activity. This article discusses the problem primarily from the company's viewpoint, after introductory remarks on the stabilizing possibilities of
Effects of Electrolyzed Water Pretreatment on Hydrolysis of Corn Stove and Switchgrass

Pretreatment is a key step in fuel-ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass.In order to evaluate the effect of electrolyzed water pretreatment method on enzymatic hydrolysis,corn stover were pretreated at three temperatures(165,180,and 195℃) and three times(10,20,and 30min),respectively;and switchgrass were also pretreated at three temperatures(170,185,and 200℃) and three times(5,15,and 25min),respectively.The hydrolysis results indicated that the cellulose digestibility yields of corn stover and switchgrass are 83% and 67% separately,both of which are comparable to the results of other pretreatment methods.Besides,without any strong chemical involved,in electrolyzed water pretreatment,xylose degradation is obvious only at high pretreatment temperature(195℃ and 200℃),but not at lower temperature.HPLC test indicates that there are few inhibitors produced in electrolyzed water pretreatment process.
La politica social, el estado y la cuestion social en costa rica : 1845-1939

Introduccion La intervencion activa del Estado en la cuestion social ha sido un fenomeno relativamente tardio en Costa Rica. Antes de la decada de 1940 hubo muy pocos ejemplos importantes de legislacion en politica social y sola cuando Rafael Calderon Guardia ocupo la presidencia en 1940, el Estado comenzo a ocuparse activamente en los problemas generales relativos al bienestar social, a los derechos de los trabajadores y a la seguridad social.
Deadly Companions —How Microbes Shaped Our History

Four billion years of microbial history, 200,000 years of human history, which is 200,000 years of history with microbes, and 130 years of microbiology history. Such is the broad sweep of Deadly Companions—How Microbes Shaped Our History by Dorothy H. Crawford. The dust jacket of the book has on it the striking image of a plague doctor, gowned and wearing a beaked mask.
How Effective are New Milestones Assessments at Demonstrating Resident Growth? 1 Year of Data.

Abstract Objective Assessment tools that accrue data for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones must evaluate residents across multiple dimensions, including medical knowledge, procedural skills, teaching, and professionalism. Our objectives were to: (1) develop an assessment tool to evaluate resident performance in accordance with the Milestones and (2) review trends in resident achievements during the inaugural year of Milestone implementation. Design A novel venue and postgraduate year (PGY) specific assessment tool was built, tested, and implemented for both operating room and labor and delivery “venues.” Resident development of competence and independence was captured over time. To account for variable rotation schedules, the year was divided into thirds and compared using two-tailed Fisher’s exact test. Setting Brigham and Women’s and Massachusetts General Hospitals, Boston MA. Participants Faculty evaluators and obstetrics and gynecology residents. Results A total of 822 assessments of 44 residents were completed between 9/2014 and 6/2015. The percentage of labor and delivery tasks completed “independently” increased monotonically across the start of all years: 8.4% for PGY-1, 60.3% for PGY-2, 73.7% for PGY-3, and 87.5% for PGY-4. Assessments of PGY-1 residents demonstrated a significant shift toward “with minimal supervision” and “independent” for the management of normal labor (p = 0.03). PGY-3 residents demonstrated an increase in “able to be primary surgeon” in the operating room, from 36% of the time in the first 2/3 of the year, to 62.3% in the last 1/3 (p Conclusion Assessment tools developed to assist with Milestone assignments capture the growth of residents over time and demonstrate quantifiable differences in achievements between PGY classes. These tools will allow for targeted teaching opportunities for both individual residents and residency programs.
Human Specific Regulation of the Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Gene

Telomerase, regulated primarily by the transcription of its catalytic subunit telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), is critical for controlling cell proliferation and tissue homeostasis by maintaining telomere length. Although there is a high conservation between human and mouse TERT genes, the regulation of their transcription is significantly different in these two species. Whereas mTERT expression is widely detected in adult mice, hTERT is expressed at extremely low levels in most adult human tissues and cells. As a result, mice do not exhibit telomere-mediated replicative aging, but telomere shortening is a critical factor of human aging and its stabilization is essential for cancer development in humans. The chromatin environment and epigenetic modifications of the hTERT locus, the binding of transcriptional factors to its promoter, and recruitment of nucleosome modifying complexes all play essential roles in restricting its transcription in different cell types. In this review, we will discuss recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of TERT regulation in human and mouse tissues and cells, and during cancer development.
Trauma scoring systems: a review.

Since West and colleagues showed clear benefits in outcomes for patients treated at specialized trauma centers in the 1970s, patients could no longer be simply transported to the nearest hospital. Scoring systems were initially created for the purposes of field triage. Of necessity these systems must be straightforward and user-friendly for prehospital personnel. Scoring systems should accurately assess severity of injury both anatomically and physiologically. The mechanism of injury is critical. Comorbid factors, age, and clinical judgment also factor into the accuracy of field triage systems. With all these factors incorporated, a scoring system should reliably predict injury severity and patient outcomes. Beside field triage, scoring systems have found a number of other uses. Because large numbers of patients are quantifiable by scoring systems, these data can be used for quality assurance. Review of records may provide details of proper care, possible areas of preventable morbidity and mortality, and treatment center specific deficiencies or strengths. Another area where scoring systems have proved valuable is in evaluating trauma care delivery and trauma research. By providing a quantifiable number for groups of trauma patients, comparisons are possible. Researchers can compare different hospitals, different regions, different practice environments, and different modes of therapy. It has become standard in all forms of trauma research to include an injury severity score in the data collection. Scoring systems can also aid in determining entry criteria for prospective research protocols. Using these systems for research has greatly advanced communication among trauma surgeons, health care workers, and researchers by enabling them to speak in similar terms. Last, trauma scoring systems have the potential to be used in reimbursement assessment. It is generally recognized that trauma and critical care are under-reimbursed. So, although the thought of controlled reimbursement is anathema for most, the era of cost-contained health care delivery is here to stay, and if a quantifiable system proves reliable, it may be that health care regulators should use it. What follows is a discussion of the current trauma severity scoring systems, and their areas of strength, weakness, and applicability.
Preclinical Advances with Multiphoton Microscopy in Live Imaging of Skin Cancers

Conventional, static analyses have historically been the bedrock and tool of choice for the study of skin cancers. Over the past several years, in vivo imaging of tumors using multiphoton microscopy has emerged as a powerful preclinical tool for revealing detailed cellular behaviors from the earliest moments of tumor development to the final steps of metastasis. Multiphoton microscopy allows for deep tissue penetration with relatively minor phototoxicity, rendering it an effective tool for the long-term observation of tumor evolution. This review highlights some of the recent preclinical insights gained using multiphoton microscopy and suggests future advances that could enhance its power in revealing the mysteries of skin tumor biology.
Lack of evidence for tissue hypoxia as a contributing factor in anastomotic leak following colon anastomosis and segmental devascularization in rats

Current surgical dogma dictates that tissue ischemia and hypoxia are major contributing factors in anastomotic leak despite scant evidence. The aim of this study was to determine if tissue hypoxia is a feature of anastomotic leakage in rats following colon resection and segmental devascularization. Rats were randomly assigned to undergo sham operation, segmental colon devascularization alone, colectomy alone, or segmental devascularization plus colectomy. Tissue hypoxia present at the colon anastomosis site across the various treatment groups was determined at sacrifice on postoperative day 6. Pimonidazole HCl was injected 30 min prior to sacrifice. Anastomotic tissues were examined and scored for healing versus leakage using an anastomotic healing score (AHS). Collagen content, hypoxia, enteric smooth muscle and periendothelial stromal patterning, and apoptosis were evaluated histologically. No differences in tissue hypoxia were noted in the 16% of anastomotic tissues with poor healing compared to the remaining 84% of rats whose anastomoses healed well. No significant changes were found in cell death in the submucosa of any group. Consistent with previous findings, poor healing was associated with lower collagen content. Submucosal thickness correlated with increased arteriole diameter (R 2 = 0.25, p < 0.005). These results demonstrate that tissue hypoxia is not a distinctive feature of anastomotic tissues that fail to heal and leak, even when their blood supply is interrupted. These findings suggest that compensatory factors may mitigate the effects of ischemia and hypoxia during healing of anastomotic tissues and that the process of leakage involves factors beyond their acute effects.
Proton transfer and esterification reactions in EMIMOAc-based acidic ionic liquids

Acetate-based ionic liquids (such as 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, EMIMOAc) have potential applications for CO2 absorption and electrochemical reduction, chemical separations and extractions, and Fischer esterification of alcohols, amines, and starch. Both strong and weak organic acids can be dissolved in EMIMOAc and yield interesting proton-rich acidic ionic liquid solutions. We have used GC-MS vapor pressure measurements, spectroscopic methods, calorimetry, and viscosity/conductivity measurements to investigate the properties and reactions of various acids dissolved in EMIMOAc. Unique proton transfer and esterification reactions are observed in many of these acidic solutions with carboxylic acids or sulfonic acids as solutes. Some acids react with the acetate anion to produce acetic acid, which provides a measure of acid strength in ionic liquid solvents. In addition, we observed an esterification reaction that might involve the imidazolium cation and the acetate anion to yield methyl acetate.
Hard Choices for Vulnerable Patients: Some Lessons Learned That May Apply

In early 2014 the New York University (NYU) School of Medicine's Division of Medical Ethics was asked to assist a major pharmaceutical company, Janssen, in the development of an ethical framework t...
Evaluating thermodynamic performance limits of thermochemical energy storage subsystems using reactive perovskite oxide particles for concentrating solar power

Abstract Concentrating solar power with cost effective and efficient thermal energy storage (TES) has the potential to achieve high dispatchability and enable high penetration of other renewable energy sources. However, levelized cost of electricity of integrated CSP systems remains prohibitively high, and new storage subsystems with higher specific energy storage (kJ kg - 1 ) and overall solar-to-electric efficiencies are needed to lower the costs of dispatchable electricity from CSP. This paper explores the potential for increased specific energy storage and solar-to-electric efficiencies of a TES subsystem that combines sensible and chemical energy storage (i.e., thermochemical energy storage – TCES) using a redox cycle of reducible perovskite oxide particles. The TCES subsystem stores energy through sensible heating and endothermic perovskite reduction in a concentrated solar particle receiver at high temperature ( T hot from 700 to 1100 °C) and low O2 partial pressure ( p O 2 from 10 - 2 to 10 - 4 bar). Stored energy is recovered as needed in a particle reoxidation reactor/heat exchanger fed by air. Energy parasitics to lower p O 2 for perovskite reduction in the receiver by vacuum pumping or inert sweep gas generation depend on system design and operating conditions. In this work, TCES with the perovskite strontium-doped calcium manganite ( Ca 0.9 Sr 0.1 Mn O 3 - δ ) is evaluated for specific storage and overall solar-to-electric efficiency in a subsystem using vacuum pumping or N 2 sweep gas for the reducing environment in the receiver. Vacuum pumping parasitics increase proportionally to changes in oxygen non-stoichiometry ( Δ δ ) and are prohibitively high for Δ δ > 0.1 . Sweep-gas parasitics to separate N 2 from air asymptote to smaller constant values at large Δ δ . Thus, a sweep gas subsystem has lower balance-of-plant parasitics at Δ δ needed for high specific TCES. Improvements in vacuum pump efficiencies from current commercially available values to >10% could reduce pumping parasitics and achieve solar-to-electric efficiencies approaching 35%. Various combinations of reducing p O 2 and increasing T hot can achieve the same energy storage for either inert sweep gas or reversible vacuum-pump systems with solar-to-electric efficiencies above 35%.
Carbon and nitrogen isotope variability in the seeds of two African millet species: Pennisetum glaucum and Eleusine coracana.

RATIONALE A range of important small seeded C4 crops were domesticated in Africa, but little is known about their carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ13 C and δ15 N values). Understanding natural isotopic variability within and among millets has the potential to help us to understand the conditions under which ancient cereals were grown and has significant implications for the interpretation of ancient diets based on stable isotope signatures. METHODS We conducted carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of modern and historical pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum, n = 108) and finger millet (Eleusine coracana, n = 17) seed samples sourced from the United States Department of Agriculture as well as the Harlan Collection curated at the Crop Evolution Laboratory Herbarium at the University of Illinois. RESULTS The millet species have significantly different mean carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios over broad temporal and spatial scales. We also found substantial isotopic variation within species (range of 1.9‰ and 8.5‰ in δ13 C and δ15 N values, respectively). Both water availability and growing season temperature significantly affected the P. glaucum δ13 C and δ15 N values; cumulative annual precipitation was positively correlated with both seed δ13 C and δ15 N values, while temperature was positively correlated with δ15 N values but negatively correlated with seed δ13 C values. CONCLUSIONS The importance of both temperature and precipitation as predictors of δ13 C and δ15 N values in millets suggests that C4 plants may be more sensitive to environmental parameters than previously appreciated. Given the high degree of carbon and nitrogen isotope variability among accessions of these species, it is imperative that site-relevant plant isotope ratios are used for making isotope-based paleo-dietary predictions.
Assessment of Biomass Resources in Liberia

Biomass resources meet about 99.5% of the Liberian population?s energy needs so they are vital to basic welfare and economic activity. Already, traditional biomass products like firewood and charcoal are the primary energy source used for domestic cooking and heating. However, other more efficient biomass technologies are available that could open opportunities for agriculture and rural development, and provide other socio-economic and environmental benefits.The main objective of this study is to estimate the biomass resources currently and potentially available in the country and evaluate their contribution for power generation and the production of transportation fuels. It intends to inform policy makers and industry developers of the biomass resource availability in Liberia, identify areas with high potential, and serve as a base for further, more detailed site-specific assessments.
Agricultural Biotechnology: Public Acceptance, Regulation and International Consensus

In this paper, I will analyze the relationship between market integration in the international food system and three interrelated debates in the biotechnology sphere: public acceptance, regulation and international consensus. I will examine the construction of EU public opinion, its impact on EU policy and its indirect effects in the global food system including the EU-US regulatory conflict. I will also investigate the extent to which EU market forces have forced other nations to respond, in some cases leading to international consensus. In closing, I emphasize the importance of market integration in driving countries to respond to public opinion in the EU.
On Reconciling Optical and Acoustical Bubble Spectra in the Mixed Layer

Acoustically estimated size spectra of bubbles in the upper 15m of the oceanic mixed layer increase logarithmically as diameter decreases, at least to 30 µm (8µm in tap water);numbers fall off slowly with depth. Optically determined estimates, in contrast, show a strong peak above 80 µm; numbers fall off rapidly with depth. Existing theory is insufficiently developed to exclude either of these interpretations. Re-examination of the acoustical and optical responses of small bubbles suggests that classical acoustical theory overestimates small bubble numbers by as much as an order of magnitude, while the optical devices employed are 1000 times less sensitive to small bubbles than they might be.
Maximum Likelihood Delay and Doppler Estimation for Passive Sensing

We consider the problem of delay and Doppler frequency estimation of a moving target in passive radar using a non-cooperative illuminator of opportunity (IO). The passive radar consists of a reference channel (RC), i.e., an antenna steered to the IO, and a surveillance channel (SC) that collects target echoes. We examine the maximum-likelihood estimator (MLE) for the passive estimation problem by modeling the unknown IO waveform as a deterministic process. Under this condition, the passive MLE is shown to reduce to a cross-correlation and search process using the surveillance signal and a delay-Doppler compensated version of the reference signal. We present two implementations for the passive MLE, including a direct and, respectively, a fast implementation based on a two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform. In addition, the Cramer-Rao Bound is derived to benchmark the passive estimation performance. The passive MLE is compared via numerical simulation with its active counterpart, which has the exact knowledge of the waveform and uses it for cross-correlation. Our results show that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the RC relative to the SNR in the SC has a significant impact on the passive MLE. Specifically, if the former is notably higher than the latter (by, e.g., 5 dB), there is a minor difference between the passive and active MLEs for the delay and Doppler estimation; otherwise, the difference is non-negligible and increases with the SNR.
Twin pregnancy and risk of postpartum hemorrhage.

Objective: To identify maternal and peripartum characteristics in twin gestations that are associated with postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in which one or more units of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) w...
Mature homogeneous erythropoietin building blocks by chemical synthesis: the EPO 22–37 glycopeptide domain presenting the full N-linked dodecasaccharide

Abstract A synthesis of EPO 22–37 glycopeptide ( 1 ), presenting the N-linked dodecasaccharide of erythropoietin, is described.
Yes We (S)can

Marbach and colleagues reported a systematic review and meta-analysis of the comparative accuracy of focused cardiac ultrasonography examination using a hand-held device versus a clinical examinati...
LGBTQ Adoptive Parents and Their Children

Increasing numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adults are becoming parents through adoption. The adoption of children by LGBTQ adults does, however, remain a controversial topic across the USA and around the world. Several questions have been raised in these debates. For instance, to what extent do LGBTQ adults make capable adoptive parents? Are children who have been adopted by LGBTQ parents growing up in healthy ways? What factors contribute to positive family functioning in adoptive families with LGBTQ parents? A growing body of social science research has addressed these questions over the past 10–15 years. Findings from this research suggest that LGBTQ adults are successful in adoptive parent roles and that their children are developing in positive directions. Research on these families has, however, been subject to criticism on methodological grounds, and the issues raised by such critiques are considered. In light of the existing literature, directions for future research are noted. Overall, the findings to date suggest that parental sexual orientation and gender identity and expression should not be deciding factors in placing children with permanent adoptive families. Contextual issues, as well as additional implications for the legal system and for child welfare agencies, are discussed.
Large non-saturating shift of the torsional resonance in a doubly clamped magnetoelastic resonator

The magnetic field dependence of the resonance frequencies of Co1−xFex thin film microfabricated resonators was examined for fields applied in the plane of the film. Remarkably, the observed resonance frequency shift with an applied magnetic field did not saturate even up to fields of nearly 2 T. A minimized mechanical and magnetic free energy model of clamped–clamped resonators revealed that for a two-dimensional structure, both bending and torsional modes are allowed, but would have have very different resonance shift behavior with the applied field. A post-anneal of the structure confirms this case by increasing the stress-induced anisotropy of CoFe, which selectively enhances the contribution of the torsional mode and creates the non-saturating field-induced frequency shift. By using the resonance shift in this device in a potential magnetic field sensing paradigm, such a non-saturating torsional mode may be useful for applications such as nuclear magnetic resonance or MRI, which specifically requires sensitive detection of small fluctuations in high magnetic fields.
Graph Theoretic Foundations of Cyclic and Acyclic Linear Dynamic Networks

Abstract Dynamic Networks are signal flow graphs explicitly partitioning structural information from dynamic or behavioral information in a dynamic system. This paper develops the mathematical foundations underlying this class of models, revealing structural roots for system concepts such as system behavior, well-posedness, causality, controllability, observability, minimality, abstraction, and realization. This theory of abstractions uses graph theory to systematically and rigorously relate LTI state space theory, developed by Kalman and emphasizing differential equations and linear algebra, to the operator theory of Weiner, emphasizing complex analysis, and Willem’s behavioral theory. New systems concepts, such as net effect, complete abstraction, and extraneous realization, are introduced, and we reveal conditions when acyclic abstractions exist for a given network, opening questions about their use in network reconstruction and other applications.
Bartolomeo Gastaldi (1818–1879) and the “glacial erratics” of the Torino Hill, NW Italy

In 1850, the Italian geologist Bartolomeo Gastaldi (1818–1879) first documented the glacial origin of the deposits belonging to the Rivoli–Avigliana and Ivrea end-moraine systems (Piemonte, NW Italy) in a joint note with Charles Frederic Martins. The authors also interpreted as glacial erratics the large boulders, mainly made up of metamorphic rocks, scattered on the Torino Hill, thus envisaging an enormous advancement of Quaternary glaciers, well beyond the position of the two moraine amphitheaters. A decade later, Gastaldi corrected himself and recognised the boulders as derived from the erosion of Miocene marine conglomerates, invoking ice-rafting to explain their presence within marine sediments. This hypothesis was supported by no less an authority than Charles Lyell, who had visited the places in company of Gastaldi in 1857. Gastaldi’s ice-rafting hypothesis implied periods of large glacier development in Southern Europe during the Miocene, and soon entered the debate on the existence and extent of past glacial periods which animated the European geological community in the late nineteenth century.
Governmental and Non-governmental Public Systems: Part II Introduction

This chapter introduces the subsequent chapters in Part II: Governmental and Nongovernmental Public Systems. This introduction provides a brief overview of US government and other public systems—including child welfare, criminal justice system, and health care—and their historical and continued intersections with labor and sex trafficking. The introduction describes how formal recognition of human trafficking as a public health problem demands concerted primary prevention-focused governmental and nongovernmental responses.
Adjusted Tornado Probabilities

Tornado occurrence rates computed from the available reports are biased low relative to the unknown true rates. To correct for this low bias, the authors demonstrate a method to estimate the annual probability of being struck by a tornado that uses the average report density estimated as a function of distance from nearest city/town center. The method is demonstrated on Kansas and then applied to 15 other tornado-prone states from Nebraska to Tennessee. States are ranked according to their adjusted tornado rate and comparisons are made with raw rates published elsewhere. The adjusted rates, expressed as return periods, are <1250 y for four states, including Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The expected annual number of people exposed to tornadoes is highest for Illinois followed by Alabama and Indiana. For the four states with the highest tornado rates, exposure increases since 1980 are largest for Oklahoma (24%) and Alabama (23%).
Radiocarbon and stable isotope constraints on Last Glacial Maximum and Younger Dryas ventilation in the western North Atlantic

[1] Foraminiferal abundance, 14C ventilation ages, and stable isotope ratios in cores from high deposition rate locations in the western subtropical North Atlantic are used to infer changes in ocean and climate during the Younger Dryas (YD) and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The δ18O of the surface dwelling planktonic foram Globigerinoides ruber records the present-day decrease in surface temperature (SST) of ∼4°C from Gulf Stream waters to the northeastern Bermuda Rise. If during the LGM the modern δ18O/salinity relationship was maintained, this SST contrast was reduced to 2°C. With LGM to interglacial δ18O changes of at least 2.2‰, SSTs in the western subtropical gyre may have been as much as 5°C colder. Above ∼2.3 km, glacial δ13C was higher than today, consistent with nutrient-depleted (younger) bottom waters, as identified previously. Below that, δ13C decreased continually to −0.5‰, about equal to the lowest LGM δ13C in the North Pacific Ocean. Seven pairs of benthic and planktonic foraminiferal 14C dates from cores >2.5 km deep differ by 1100 ± 340 years, with a maximum apparent ventilation age of ∼1500 years at 4250 m and at ∼4700 m. Apparent ventilation ages are presently unavailable for the LGM < 2.5 km because of problems with reworking on the continental slope when sea level was low. Because LGM δ13C is about the same in the deep North Atlantic and the deep North Pacific, and because the oldest apparent ventilation ages in the LGM North Atlantic are the same as the North Pacific today, it is possible that the same water mass, probably of southern origin, flowed deep within each basin during the LGM. Very early in the YD, dated here at 11.25 ± 0.25 (n = 10) conventional 14C kyr BP (equal to 12.9 calendar kyr BP), apparent ventilation ages <2.3 km water depth were about the same as North Atlantic Deep Water today. Below ∼2.3 km, four YD pairs average 1030 ± 400 years. The oldest apparent ventilation age for the YD is 1600 years at 4250 m. This strong contrast in ventilation, which indicates a front between water masses of very different origin, is similar to glacial profiles of nutrient-like proxies. This suggests that the LGM and YD modes of ocean circulation were the same.
Sensor guided ablation procedure of left atrial endocardium

In this paper, we present a sensor guided ablation procedure of highly motile left atrium. It uses a system which automatically registers the 4D heart model with the position sensor on the catheter, and visualizes the heart model and the position of the catheter together in real time. With this system clinicians can easily map the motile left atrium shape and see where the catheter is inside it, therefore greatly improve the efficiency of the ablation operation.
In vivo mobility of fatty acid end groups of Bacillus thuringiensis plasma membrane lipids during growth and sporulation.

Abstract The mobility of 13C specifically labeled branched chain end groups of iso-even fatty acids in intact, live Bacillus thuringiensis cells was studied by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This study apparently represents the first direct observation of branched chain carbon atoms in living cells. End groups were labeled using DL-[beta, delta, delta'-13C]valine as a precursor chain initiator for iso-even fatty acid synthesis after using L-[delta, delta'-14C]L-valine to determine optimal conditions for labeling of the membrane fatty acid end groups. Cell survival in the NMR was determined for various lengths of time at 28 and 39 degrees C. Subsequently, 13C-labeled vegetative cells, sporulating cells (three stages of development), and purified mature spores were analyzed by 13C NMR using corresponding unlabeled cells as controls. Spin lattice relaxation times (T1) were obtained for the enriched iso-branched region at 23.3 ppm and for the natural abundance peak for the glycerol backbone (carbons 1 and 3) of the membrane lipids at 61.7 ppm. The T1 of the glycerol carbons (0.08 s) did not change significantly with stage of development or temperature. The T1 of the iso-even enriched end group changed dramatically from vegetative cells (0.70s) to sporulating cells (0.28 s) at 28 degrees C. A decrease in the T1 was also observed at 39 degrees C from 0.91 s for vegetative cells to 0.54 s for sporulating cells. Accompanying the reduced mobility indicated by the T1 values, there was a general decline in the signal-to-noise ratios of identically acquired spectra as sporulation continued which culminated in the lack of discernible plasma membrane lipid resonances in purified mature spores. The progressive loss of signal appeared to have resulted from a continuous decline in the fraction of plasma membrane fatty acids with sufficient mobility to give signals above background.
Family Worlds and Qualitative Family Research

This article elaborates upon the importance of whole-family methodologies for family studies. Drawing upon Family Worlds, a seminal work in whole-family methodology, this essay shows by example and analysis the capacity of this approach to deepen and broaden understandings of diverse family experiences. Not only does whole-family methodology contribute to theory development, but it also has the capacity to help researchers construct the rich, complex, and sometimes fragmented experiences of post-modern families.
Elliptic Curves over Local Fields

In this chapter we study the group of rational points on an elliptic curve defined over a field which is complete with respect to a discrete valuation. We start with some basic facts concerning Weierstrass equations and “reduction modulo π”.This enables us to break our problem up into several pieces; and then by examining each piece individually, we will be able to deduce a great deal about the group of rational points as a whole. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, we will use the following notation.
Autoregressive detection by generalized Burg algorithm

In the case of nonstationary signal fields, e.g., spatial array beamforming in the presence of correlated multipath, an autoregressive angle estimator should employ the generalized Burg algorithm (GBA) to account for the non-Toeplitz structure of the power cross-spectral density matrix. The detection performance of the GBA is analyzed and is shown to be comparable to the performance of the conventional AR detector in the case where no correlated interference is present.
Do elevated red blood cell methotrexate polyglutamate levels predict methotrexate efficacy

Do elevated red blood cell methotrexate polyglutamate levels predict methotrexate efficacy?
Spatial clustering and urban settings of rural migrants in Bangkok, Thailand

In 2000, a demographic survey of households in selected nuclear villages was conducted in the rural Nang Rong district, northeastern Thailand. As part of a longitudinal study of social and environmental change, a migrant follow-up was conducted that tracked and surveyed adults from 22 survey villages who had out-migrated to Bangkok, Thailand, Korat, Buriram, and the Eastern Seaboard. Global positioning system (GPS) locations for 1022 migrants from the Nang Rong district, who settled in Bangkok, were collected and linked to the demographic surveys. Using these locations, and linking to urban migrant and rural household surveys, we report on the spatial pattern of migrants and their urban settings through remote sensing and statistical analyses. The spatial patterns of migrants' locations in Bangkok are examined using nearest neighbour analysis to determine whether migrants live in spatial clusters organized by economic activity, demographic characteristics, or rural village residence patterns. Neighbourhoo...
Binocular alignment and vergence in early infancy

Vergence to static targets presented at five distances between 25 and 200 cm from the subject was measured in 631 infants aged between 17 and 120 days. Photographic images of the eyes were magnified and measured to yield information on the monocular and binocular eye positions for each target. Vergence data were fit by a linear function and compared to the vergence calculated from target distance and each infant's measured interpupillary distance. Differences in vergence across targets were also evaluated for each subject by calculating the change in angle of rotation for each eye. Many of even the youngest infants showed good ocular alignment both monocularly and binocularly, although the youngest infants showed the greatest variability in vergence. However, the median difference in vergence angle between the eyes for even the youngest group was < 4 deg (6.8 prism D), and some of this difference is attributed to versional eye movements and to slightly off-axis head position across trials. The average infant of 1-2 months showed substantially better vergence than has been reported in some recent studies. Apparently, oculomotor constraints are not a significant barrier to the development of the higher forms of binocularity that begin to emerge in the months immediately following the interval studied here, and may form the substrate for later developments in binocular vision.
Statistics of the Charge Distribution for a Localized Flaw in a Semiconductor

A localized flaw such as a vacancy-interstitial pair, gold atom, or small void is considered. It is found that the charge situation can be described by a set of energy levels which are independent of the Fermi level but which are temperature-dependent. If the flaw is electrically neutral for a certain position of the Fermi level, then as the Fermi level is raised from the neutral level successively above each higher-lying level of the set, the flaw acquires an additional electron unit of negative charge. These levels are called the first-acceptor level, second-acceptor level, etc. The energy levels are essentially equal to $\mathrm{kT}\mathrm{ln}(\frac{{Z}_{1}}{{Z}_{2}})$, where ${Z}_{1}$ and ${Z}_{2}$ are the contributions of the flaw to the state sum for the system for the two conditions of charge. Similarly, as the Fermi level is lowered below the neutral point, it passes the first-donor level, second-donor level, etc., and the flaw acquires charges of plus one, plus two, etc. The statistics are derived for the distribution for the various conditions of charge, referred to as first-donor condition, neutral condition, first-acceptor condition, etc.
A total synthesis of (±)-dihydropalustrine

Abstract Dihydropalustrine has been synthesized by a β-lactam-imino ether coupling route. A dehydro precursor previously considered to represent palustrine has now been shown to be nonidentical with the natural product.
Experimental Study of End Region Detailing and Shear Behavior of Concrete I-Girders

AbstractThis paper presents the results of an experimental program conducted to evaluate the effects of end region detailing on the capacity and behavior of pretensioned concrete I-girders. The program was conducted using six Florida I-Beam specimens, 1,372 mm (54 in.) in depth, which were load-tested in three-point bending at a shear span/depth of 2.0. Variables in the program included confinement reinforcement configuration, presence/lack of steel bearing plate, strand shielding pattern, and strand layout. Specimen behavior and capacity were found to be significantly affected by end region detailing, especially placement of fully bonded strands. Experimental results were compared with theoretical models for web-shear, bond-shear, and lateral-splitting capacity. By considering multiple models, calculations were able to accurately identify the failure mode of each test specimen.