cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporating explicit geospatial data shows more species at risk of extinction than the current Red List

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List classifies species according to their risk of extinction, informing global to local conservation decisions. Unfortunately, important geospatial data do not explicitly or efficiently enter this process. Rapid growth in the availability of remotely sensed observations provides fine-scale data on elevation and increasingly sophisticated characterizations of land cover and its changes. These data readily show that species are likely not present within many areas within the overall envelopes of their distributions. Additionally, global databases on protected areas inform how extensively ranges are protected. We selected 586 endemic and threatened forest bird species from six of the world's most biodiverse and threatened places (Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Central America, Western Andes of Colombia, Madagascar, Sumatra, and Southeast Asia). The Red List deems 18% of these species to be threatened (15 critically endangered, 29 endangered, and 64 vulnerable). Inevitably, after refining ranges by elevation and forest cover, ranges shrink. Do they do so consistently? For example, refined ranges of critically endangered species might reduce by (say) 50% but so might the ranges of endangered, vulnerable, and nonthreatened species. Critically, this is not the case. We find that 43% of species fall below the range threshold where comparable species are deemed threatened. Some 210 bird species belong in a higher-threat category than the current Red List placement, including 189 species that are currently deemed nonthreatened. Incorporating readily available spatial data substantially increases the numbers of species that should be considered at risk and alters priority areas for conservation.
Detection of potential osteoarthritis biomarkers using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in the near-infrared

A novel application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for in-vitro osteoarthritis (OA) biomarker detection is described. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a potential OA biomarker and synovial fluid levels of HA have been correlated with progression of joint space narrowing. However, current immunoassay and chromatographic methods that identify HA in synovial fluid are cumbersome and often require sophisticated instrumentation. Raman spectroscopy may be an alternative to these analytical methods, providing rapid identification of HA using characteristic Raman bands. Yet, previous reports of un-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for hyaluronic acid are in aqueous solutions exceeding 1000X in-vivo concentrations because HA is a weakly scattering polysaccharide. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy can improve detection limits by 100-1000 times and we present, to our best knowledge, the first surface-enhanced Raman spectra of hyaluronic acid. Moreover, the recent commercial availability of stable SERS gold substrates has enabled rapid SERS detection of this biomarker at concentrations diluted by more than an order of magnitude, compared to previous literature reports. Preliminary results of easily and rapidly observing hyaluronic acid at low concentrations in aqueous solutions supported further studies in synthetic models of biofluids, such as artificial synovial fluid, that contain HA at low concentrations. These complex fluids contain proteins that compete for the SERS-active sites on the substrate, and the resulting spectra are dominated by protein Raman bands. We apply a simple and validated protein precipitation protocol to artificial synovial fluid prior to deposition onto the SERS substrate. We find that HA is easily detected in these fluids after protein removal treatment.
Tap the "Make This Public" Button: A Design-Based Inquiry into Issue Advocacy and Digital Civics

This paper examines the strategies of cycling advocates when deploying digital tools in their advocacy work as they support and create better cycling infrastructure and policies. Over the course of two years, we interviewed and conducted design-based fieldwork in two large U.S. cities with individuals and advocacy organizations, learning about the goals, motivations, and constraints that inform their work in their respective urban homes. Our design-based investigation and fieldwork advance a deeper, situated understanding of the role that computing technology plays when engaging across multiple sites of advocacy work. From this, we add detail to the connections across resources, identities, and issues and continue to advance the emerging area of digital civics, which seeks to design tools that support relational civic interactions across multiple categories of civic actors.
Gyrofluid Model of Plasma Expansion in a Diverging Magnetic Field

The gyrofluid equations for electrons and for ions are used to model the acceleration of plasma from a source region of high magnetic field to a region of lower field. The model includes a source term for plasma generation, a self-consistent electric field, nonzero ion temperature, plasma acceleration by the mirror force, and the reduction in density from the diverging flow. The model is applicable to plasma experiments with helicon sources, ion engines for spacecraft, and some plasma processing configurations. The ion flux from the source region is found to be approximately the Bohm flux and the downstream ion flux density scales with the magnetic field. The downstream flow is determined by the conversion of upstream thermal energy in both electrons and ions into kinetic energy in flow speed. For large expansion ratios, the final speed approaches 1.5 times the ion sound speed.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Way Out Voices: A Phenomenology of Interbeing

Interbeing is a foundational teaching of Thiền Sư (Zen master) Thich Nhất Hạnh, beloved Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist who has worked closely with Chân Khong, an expatriate Vietnamese Buddhist nun. Together they founded Plum Village retreat center in the Dordogne region of France. This volume of invited essays – taken as a whole – reveals the inspirational power of the word interbeing as a focus for creating common ground within scholarship for voices not so often heard. Metaphorically, this phenomenology is what Nhất Hạnh might call a “hugging meditation.”
A Model-Based Analysis of the Minimum Size of Demographically-Viable Hunter-Gatherer Populations

A non-spatial agent-based model is used to explore how marriage behaviors and fertility affect the minimum population size required for hunter-gatherer systems to be demographically viable. The model incorporates representations of person- and household-level constraints and behaviors affecting marriage, reproduction, and mortality. Results suggest that, under a variety of circumstances, a stable population size of about 150 persons is demographically viable in the sense that it is largely immune from extinction through normal stochastic perturbations in mortality, fertility, and sex ratio. Less restrictive marriage rules enhance the viability of small populations by making it possible to capitalize on a greater proportion of the finite female reproductive span and compensate for random fluctuations in the balance of males and females.
Moisture variations in brine-salted pasta filata cheese.

A study was made of the moisture distribution in brine-salted pasta filata cheese. Brine-salted cheeses usually develop reasonably smooth and predictable gradients of decreasing moisture from center to surface, resulting from outward diffusion of moisture in response to inward diffusion of salt. However, patterns of moisture variation within brine-salted pasta filata cheeses, notably pizza cheese, are more variable and less predictable because of the peculiar conditions that occur when warm cheese is immersed in cold brine. In this study, cold brining resulted in less moisture loss from the cheese surface to the brine. Also it created substantial temperature gradients within the cheese, which persisted after brining and influenced the movement of moisture within the cheese independently of that caused by the inward diffusion of salt. Depending on brining conditions and age, pizza cheese may contain decreasing, increasing, or irregular gradients of moisture from center to surface, which may vary considerably at different locations within a single block. This complicates efforts to obtain representative samples for moisture and composition testing. Dicing the entire block into small (e.g., 1.5 cm) cubes and collecting a composite sample after thorough mixing may serve as a practical sampling approach for manufacturers and users of pizza cheese that have ready access to dicing equipment.
Answering Halliburton II's Unanswered Question: Burdens of Production and Persuasion on Price Impact at Class Certification

In Halliburton Co. v. Erica P. John Fund, Inc. (“Halliburton II”), 134 S. Ct. 2398, 2407 (2014), the Supreme Court held that a defendant can rebut the fraud-on-the-market presumption of reliance at class certification by showing the absence of price impact. Left unanswered by the Court is the allocation of the burdens of production and persuasion with respect to price impact at class certification. This Essay seeks to answer this question, drawing from (1) the Court’s guidance in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, 131 S. Ct. 2541, 2551-52 (2011), and Comcast Corp. v. Behrend, 133 S. Ct. 1426, 1432 (2013), on the merits inquiry required at class certification and (2) Federal Rule of Evidence 301’s allocation of burdens of production and persuasion with respect to presumptions, which the Court has explained in the context of the McDonnell Douglas framework for proving intentional discrimination. Ultimately, this Essay proposes a step-by-step analytical pathway to guide courts and litigants as they engage in a merits inquiry about price impact at the class certification stage.
Effect of feeding a milk replacer to early-weaned pigs on growth, body composition, and small intestinal morphology, compared with suckled littermates.

Feeding of milk replacer to early-weaned pigs was evaluated in two experiments. In Exp. 1, 18 litters of pigs were either weaned conventionally (d 21), split-weaned and fed milk replacer plus starter diet (d 14 and 21), or weaned and fed milk replacer plus starter diet (d 21). Split weaning combined with feeding a milk replacer increased ADG 22% from d 14 and d 28 compared to conventional weaning (P < .05). Feeding a milk replacer plus starter diet after weaning increased ADG 30% between d 21 and 28 compared to conventional weaning (P < .01). In Experiment 2, four litters of 12 pigs each were divided at d 18 into six heavy and six light pigs and randomized across sow-suckled, milk replacer, or starter diet groups. After 1 wk, pigs fed milk replacer weighed 20% more (P < .001), contained 10% more protein (P < .01) and 17% more fat (P < .05), and had 74% longer villi in the proximal small intestine (P < .001) than suckled pigs. In contrast, pigs fed starter diet weighed 19% less (P < .001), contained 20% less protein and fat (P < .001), and had 28% shorter villi in the proximal small intestine (P < .05) than suckled pigs. Therefore, milk replacer feeding the 1st wk after weaning stimulates pig development, both locally in the small intestine and on a whole-body basis, most likely by an increased energy and nutrient intake. Suckling beyond 18 d postnatally inhibits pigs to reach maximal potential weight gain. In conclusion, milk replacer feeding might be beneficial to reach maximal pig weight gain at weaning.
Infrared Observations of Radio Galaxies

For technical reasons, infrared studies of active galaxies have lagged far behind optical and radio ones. This is unfortunate, since entirely new aspects of these sources are often revealed in the infrared. The extreme efficiency of dust at degrading ultraviolet photons into cool thermal emission frequently makes the luminosity of an extragalactic source inaccessible to optical and radio astronomers. At the same time, the effects of dust on optical emission line ratios and continuum shapes can be profound. The complete identification of samples of radio sources will require infrared observations to supplement the optical techniques now generally employed, and the extreme properties of the sources bright in the infrared can provide new insights to conditions in extragalactic nonthermal sources. To illustrate these points, I will discuss three cases: 1.) galaxies undergoing a powerful burst of star formation, 2.) intermediate type Seyfert galaxies, and 3.) an extreme infrared identification of an extragalactic radio source.
Designing Hypertext for Learning

This paper describes hypertext, and its potential as a technology that can effectively facilitate learning.
Model reduction for flexible structures

Several conditions for a near-optimal reduction of general dynamic systems are presented focusing on the reduction in balanced and modal coordinates. It is shown that model and balanced reductions give very different results for the flexible structure with closely-spaced natural frequencies. In general, balanced reduction is found to give better results. A robust model reduction technique was developed to study the sensitivity of modeling error to variations in the damping of a structure. New concepts of grammians defined over a finite time and/or a frequency interval are proposed including computational procedures for evaluating them. Application of the model reduction technique to these grammians is considered to lead to a near-optimal reduced model which closely reproduces the full system output in the time and/or frequency interval.
Examining the Differing Effects of Economic Hardship and Poor Maternal Wellbeing on Cumulative Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Extensive research supports a strong and cumulative relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and risky adult behaviors, mental health disorders, diseases, and health status. Additional factors, such as poor maternal wellbeing and economic hardship, compound the detrimental health and wellbeing implications associated with childhood exposure to ACEs. However, limited research has explored the differentiating effects of economic hardship and maternal wellbeing on a child’s cumulative ACE exposure. This study examined the differing effects of poor maternal wellbeing and economic hardship on a child’s exposure to ACEs. This study used a random sub-sample (n = 4000) from the 2011 to 2012 National Survey on Children’s Health (NSCH), a nationally representative cross-sectional study of children (N = 95,677) between birth and 17 years old. Confirmatory factor analysis results revealed greater economic hardship had a significant direct effect on a child’s ACE exposure and poorer maternal wellbeing. Poor maternal wellbeing had a significant mediation-like effect on the relationship between economic hardship and a child’s cumulative ACE exposure. Practice and policy implications include early ACE assessments tailored to identify children and families experiencing adversity across multiple domains.
The Starbucks Coffee Shop Logo

In this chapter we deal with the evolution of the Starbucks logo and the role of Starbucks in American culture and society. It defines logos and offers a historical portrait of how the logo originated and evolved over the years. In addition, it shows how the myth model helps explain the popularity of Starbucks and deals, also, with the popularity of Starbucks.
Repurposing Human Osteoarthritic Cartilage as a Bone Graft Substitute in an Athymic Rat Posterolateral Spinal Fusion Model

ABSTRACT Background: Spinal fusion involves both endochondral and intramembranous bone formation. We previously demonstrated that endochondral cartilage grafts that were derived from human osteoarthritic (OA) articular cartilage can be used as a bone graft in mouse models. We hypothesized that OA cartilage could also be recycled and repurposed as a bone graft substitute in a posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion model in athymic rats. Methods: OA articular cartilage was obtained from the femoral resection of a healthy 60-year-old man undergoing elective total knee arthroplasty. The chondrocytes recovered from this tissue were dedifferentiated in monolayer tissue culture and then transitioned to culture conditions that promote chondrocyte hypertrophy. The resultant cell pellets were then used as bone graft substitute for single-level posterolateral spinal fusion in 5 athymic rats. Decortication alone was used as the control group. Spinal fusion was assessed with manual palpation, micro–computed tomography, and histologic analysis. Results: In the experimental group, micro–computed tomography at 4 and 8 weeks demonstrated bilateral fusion in 4 of 5 animals and unilateral fusion in 1 animal. At 8 weeks, manual palpation and histologic analysis showed direct correlation with the radiographic findings. Animals undergoing decortication alone failed to generate any spinal fusion. The difference in the fusion rate between groups was statistically significant with respect to both unilateral fusion (P = .047) and bilateral fusion (P = .007). Conclusions: In the absence of additional surgically implanted bone graft, hypertrophic chondrocyte grafts are sufficient for generating single-level posterolateral lumbar fusion in athymic rats. Clinical Relevance: This animal study demonstrates that cartilage harvested from OA knees can be used as a bone graft substitute. Commercially available cell-based bone grafts have previously only used mesenchymal stem cells or osteoblast precursor cells.
Predictors of Acute Outcomes for Intensive Residential Treatment of Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder

For those who suffer with chronic and disruptive obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), who have not been sufficiently helped by outpatient treatments or medications, intensive residential treatment (IRT) is often the next best treatment option. To date, research of the predictors of treatment outcome in IRT for OCD are mixed and sometimes contradictory. Additionally, although comorbidity is common for patients in this setting, the inclusion of comorbidity as a potential predictor of outcome has been mostly lacking in research to date. The current study aimed to address these issues by utilizing optimal indices of treatment outcomes, while incorporating comorbidity into our analyses, in order to identify the predictors of treatment outcomes in the IRT for OCD setting. To this end, we analysed outcome data from 379 patients receiving IRT for OCD at the Rogers Memorial OCD Center between August 2012, and December 2017. Results indicated that the most important predictor of treatment outcome was obsession severity at admission. Specifically, higher obsession severity at admission predicted poorer treatment outcomes at discharge. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research were discussed in the manuscript.
Dynamic Prognostic Model to Identify Patients with Primary or Post-Polycythemia Vera/Essential Thrombocythemia Myelofibrosis (Mf) At the Highest Risk of Death and Transformation to Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract 2821 BACKGROUND: While patients (pts) with primary or post-polycythemia vera (PV)/post-essential thrombocythemia (ET) myelofibrosis (MF) have a median overall survival of 5–6 years, the survival of particular subsets of pts with MF is highly variable. Pts transforming to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represent a large proportion of those with the poorest prognosis. Prognostic tools capable of identifying pts at the highest risk of death and transformation may provide an opportunity for tailored early therapeutic intervention (e.g. allogeneic stem cell transplantation [allo-SCT]). OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors that predict for short survival and for high risk to transformation to AML in a large cohort of pts with MF diagnosed at MD Anderson Cancer Center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 649 pts with MF referred from Feb-1966 to Jun-2010 were assessable for survival analysis, including 177 (27%) with post-PV or post-ET MF. The median follow-up was 19 months (range, 1–180). We first evaluated an extensive list of baseline risk factors for overall survival (OS) by univariate analysis (UVA): age, sex, prior exposure to alkylating agents, hydroxyurea, immunomodulatory drugs (i.e. thalidomide derivatives), and others, MF duration, performance status, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, hemoglobin, white blood cell count (WBC), platelets, monocytes, peripheral blood (PB) or bone marrow (BM) blast percentage (continuous variable), chromosomal abnormalities, JAK2 V617F mutation (yes vs no, and as a continuous variable), total bilirubin, LDH, creatinine level. Multivariate analysis (MVA) identified age ≥60 (p=0.004;HR=1.63), baseline platelets 9 /L (p 10% (p=0.002;HR=2.18), worst karyotype (del17p, −5, −7, complex; p 2000 U/L (p 9 /L (p=0.02), PB blasts ≥5% (p=0.01), BM blasts ≥5% (p=0.02), and unfavorable karyotype (p=0.04). The presence at baseline of BM blasts ≥10% and worst karyotype were identified as independent poor prognostic factors for both OS and AML-transformation. Pts with one or both of these two risk factors (n=80, 12% of the population) defined a subgroup of pts with a median OS of only 10 months. This subgroup was considered to have MF at significantly higher risk (compared to pts without any of these 2 adverse factors) for transformation to AML (1-year transformation-free survival 82% vs 98%, p CONCLUSION: Analysis of a large population of pts with either primary or post-PV or post-ET MF identified risk factors that at any time during the course of MF predict for short OS and for high risk for AML transformation AML. Pts with such factors may be candidates for more aggressive therapeutic approaches such as allo-SCT. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Changing treatment landscape for early cervical cancer: outcomes reported with minimally invasive surgery compared with an open approach.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim of the article is to review recent studies that compare the oncologic efficacy of minimally invasive radical hysterectomy with that of open radical hysterectomy. RECENT FINDINGS The Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) trial, a randomized study design to test the hypothesis that minimally invasive radical hysterectomy is not inferior to open radical hysterectomy, was stopped early by the data and safety monitoring committee after enrolling 631 of a planned 740 patients. The disease-free survival rate at 4.5 years was 86% among women assigned to minimally invasive surgery and 96.5% in those who underwent open surgery (hazard ratio [HR] 3.74; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.63-8.58). Minimally invasive surgery was also associated with inferior overall survival (HR 6.00; 95% CI 1.44-12.7). Recent well designed, adequately powered observational studies mostly corroborate the findings of the LACC trial. SUMMARY After a decade of widespread acceptance and increasing popularity, the preponderance of evidence now suggests that minimally invasive radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer confers an excess risk of recurrence and death compared with open abdominal radical hysterectomy.
Quantitative measurements of broad-band mid-infrared absorption spectra of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetone at combustion-relevant temperatures near 5.7 µm

Abstract Temperature-dependent absorption cross sections of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetone are presented for their C O stretching bands near 5.7 µm. The measurement methodology employs a broad-scan, rapid-tuning EC-QCL in conjunction with shock tube facilities and can provide quantitative spectroscopic information with an average spectral resolution of 0.6 cm−1 at a tuning rate in excess of 30 cm−1/ms. The absorption spectrum of formaldehyde in the ν2 vibrational band is reported at 998 K and 3.8 atm, showing reasonable agreement with spectral simulations based on HITRAN 2016. The residuals are ascribed to the emergence of hotbands and high-J rovibrational transitions at elevated temperatures. The first high-temperature absorption cross section measurements of acetaldehyde and acetone are reported near atmospheric pressure at combustion-related temperatures up to 1000 K, with strong temperature broadening observed in the measured spectra. The results presented are archived in the Stanford ShockGas-IR database and are expected to be useful in future spectroscopic studies.
Phenotypic Comparability from Genotypic Variability among Physically Structured Microbial Consortia

Microbiomes represent the collective bacteria, archaea, protist, fungi, and virus communities living in or on individual organisms that are typically multicellular eukaryotes. Such consortia have become recognized as having significant impacts on the development, health, and disease status of their hosts. Since understanding the mechanistic connections between an individual's genetic makeup and their complete set of traits (i.e., genome to phenome) requires consideration at different levels of biological organization, this should include interactions with, and the organization of, microbial consortia. To understand microbial consortia organization, we elucidated the genetic constituents among phenotypically similar (and hypothesized functionally-analogous) layers (i.e., top orange, second orange, pink, and green layers) in the unique laminated orange cyanobacterial-bacterial crusts endemic to Hawaii's anchialine ecosystem. High-throughput amplicon sequencing of ribosomal RNA hypervariable regions (i.e., Bacteria-specific V6 and Eukarya-biased V9) revealed microbial richness increasing by crust layer depth, with samples of a given layer more similar to different layers from the same geographic site than to their phenotypically-analogous layer from different sites. Furthermore, samples from sites on the same island were more similar to each other, regardless of which layer they originated from, than to analogous layers from another island. However, cyanobacterial and algal taxa were abundant in all surface and bottom layers, with anaerobic and chemoautotrophic taxa concentrated in the middle two layers, suggesting crust oxygenation from both above and below. Thus, the arrangement of oxygenated vs. anoxygenated niches in these orange crusts is functionally distinct relative to other laminated cyanobacterial-bacterial communities examined to date, with convergent evolution due to similar environmental conditions a likely driver for these phenotypically comparable but genetically distinct microbial consortia.
Views of the Highway: Infrastructure Reality, Perceptions, and Politics:

Transportation infrastructure such as highways and bridges requires upgrades and maintenance. In many U.S. regions, these requirements have surpassed current funding, so new solutions are needed. O...
Elution of rifampin and vancomycin from a weight-bearing silorane-based bone cement

Aims Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based bone cements are the industry standard in orthopaedics. PMMA cement has inherent disadvantages, which has led to the development and evaluation of a nove...
Nutritional Aspects of Bovine Somatotropin (BST)

As milk production increases 2 to 3 percent annually, nutrient demands for high producing cows will continue to be a major management challenge. Minnesota DHI data illustrate the shift in feeding programs and strategies as milk yield increases (Table 1). Bovine somatotropin (BST) is biotechnology that could increase milk yield 5 to 15 percent in the future. Mix (1987) predicted in the year 2000, average milk yield could be 16,335 pounds without BST or 20,418 pounds if BST was used by U.S. dairy farmers. Meeting the nutritional needs of BST treated cows must be understood by dairy farmers, dairy nutritionists, veterinarians, and agri-business personnel. By examining current feeding strategies in high producing herds, three-times-a day milking, and BST research, BST feeding strategies can be anticipated.
Packing seagulls

A seagull in a graph is an induced three-vertex path. When does a graph G have k pairwise vertex-disjoint seagulls? This is NP-complete in general, but for graphs with no stable set of size three we give a complete solution. This case is of special interest because of a connection with Hadwiger’s conjecture which was the motivation for this research; and we deduce a unification and strengthening of two theorems of Blasiak [2] concerned with Hadwiger’s conjecture.
Recent Developments in the Synthesis of the Flavors and Fragrances of Terpenoid Origin

Abstract Terpenes and terpenoids are a huge family of natural products comprised of over 50,000 compounds, which display an astonishing diversity concerning their chemical structures, their physical properties and their biological activities. In this context, it is worth noting that a considerable number of terpenoids are used as flavor or fragrance ingredients and their manufacturing represents an important economic resource for chemical companies. In this review, some recent developments on the synthesis of the most relevant flavors and fragrances of terpenoid origin are discussed. The description of each flavor/fragrance, its use and the new synthetic approaches devised for its preparation are presented gathering together compounds belonging to the same terpenic class (terpene, sesquiterpene) or sharing the same biological origin (norterpenoids). The main topics covered are outlined in the chapter.
Sarah Cleghorn and the Religious Left

T THE PRESENT TIME, America is witnessing the rise of a populist force in American politics known as the "religious right," which is being directed by Christian evangelists through the popular media of television and radio. Though their message may be purveyed on programs with titles like the "Old Time Gospel Hour," the content has become less the religion of the Christian Gospel than the politics of reaction. This is not the first time, ofcourse, that political influence has been sought by religious groups in America. On the contrary, religion has been bound up with the political life in America since the land was first settled by Europeans. A recent example of such religious influence-though one opposite to that of the "religious right"--dates from the beginning ofthe 20th century and in diminish­ ing force continues to the present to affect the character of American life. Founding itself also on the Gospel ofJesus, this movement-which we may call the "religious left"-has borne fruit in the form ofeconomic and social programs and legislation that have, ironically, raised the standard of living of the very segment of the population now so vocal in support of the "religious right." The "religious left" emerged from the clash between labor and capital in the last decades ofthe 19th century. During those decades, the nation's economy was subjected to severe strains caused by increasing industrialization, urbanization, and immigration. In labor's struggle to assert itselfand achieve recognition ofits value to the economic process, it found occasion to accuse the church of being more sympathetic to the capitalist than to the worker. Stung by these accusations, liberal church leaders began to study the implications of the teachings of Jesus on social and economic questions. Theresult was the rise ofthe "Social Gospel," whichreminded the Americanpeople that the fatherhood ofGod implied also the brotherhood of man and called for social and economic justice for all members of society. Under the influence of the "Social Gospel," many were attracted to Socialism, while rejecting its doctrine of materialism and remaining true to Christian principles. These Christian Socialists were sorely tried in the period that followed World War I and the Russian Revolutions, when America sus­ pected its institutions were under attack from the "left."
Discovering Interesting Patterns for Investment Decision Making with GLOWER x-A Genetic Learner Overlaid with Entropy Reduction

Prediction in financial domains is notoriously difficult for a number of reasons. First, theories tend to be weak or non-existent, which makes problem formulation open ended by forcing us to consider a large number of independent variables and thereby increasing the dimensionality of the search space. Second, the weak relationships among variables tend to be nonlinear, and may hold only in limited areas of the search space. Third, in financial practice, where analysts conduct extensive manual analysis of historically well performing indicators, a key is to find the hidden interactions among variables that perform well in combination. Unfortunately, these are exactly the patterns that the greedy search biases incorporated by many standard rule learning algorithms will miss. In this paper, we describe and evaluate several variations of a new genetic learning algorithm (GLOWER) on a variety of data sets. The design of GLOWER has been motivated by financial prediction problems, but incorporates successful ideas from tree induction and rule learning. We examine the performance of several GLOWER variants on two UCI data sets as well as on a standard financial prediction problem (S&P500 stock returns), using the results to identify one of the better variants for further comparisons. We introduce a new (to KDD) financial prediction problem (predicting positive and negative earnings surprises), and experiment with GLOWER, contrasting it with tree- and rule-induction approaches. Our results are encouraging, showing that GLOWER has the ability to uncover effective patterns for difficult problems that have weak structure and significant nonlinearities.
Lattice-Mismatched III-V Epilayers for High-Efficiency Photovoltaics

The project focused on development of new approaches and materials combinations to expand and improve the quality and versatility of lattice-mismatched (LMM) III-V semiconductor epilayers for use in high-efficiency multijunction photovoltaic (PV) devices. To address these goals, new capabilities for materials synthesis and characterization were established at SDSM&T that have applications in modern opto- and nano-electronics, including epitaxial crystal growth and transmission electron microscopy. Advances were made in analyzing and controlling the strain profiles and quality of compositional grades used for these technologies. In particular, quaternary compositional grades were demonstrated, and a quantitative method for characteristic X-ray analysis was developed. The project allowed enhanced collaboration between scientists at NREL and SDSM&T to address closely related research goals, including materials exchange and characterization.
Some in vivo effects of chelation. II. Animal experimentation.

Abstract In vivo effects of EDTA on a number of elements including potassium, sodium, calcium, copper, manganese, sulfur (as sulfate) and phosphorus are reviewed. Data are presented to show that EDTA given to rabbits after cessation of an atherogenic diet greatly accelerates the natural rate of plaque removal from aortas. An effect on phosphate metabolism was also demonstrated particularly on the aortic phospholipids and residue phosphate (obtained after extraction of the phospholipids and the acid soluble phosphorus).
Solitons in Synthetic and Biological Polymers

Nonlinear science has, in recent years, begun to receive truly interdisciplinary attention and to involve a supporting interplay of analysis, computation and experiment. Most of the problems being addressed have a long history but are now benefiting from this new interdisciplinary view. The synergistic impact of computers plays an increasingly important role and there are some new concepts —solitons, toplogy, “universal” routes to chaos and its characterization, pattern selection and evolution, etc. Significant advances have occurred in our appreciation for the consequences of strongly nonlinear phenomena and our ability to experimentally detect them. In particular the “soliton paradigm”1 has acquired, in the space of a decade, an astonishing list of applications across the natural sciences. Our focus here is only a small subset of these applications but already vast: namely applications in solid state materials and of those primarily low-dimensional examples (weakly coupled chains or layers). Furthermore, we will not discuss any problems arising in nonlinear diffusion equations, although these are fundamental in their own right for descriptions of reaction-diffusion systems, interface dynamics, nerve-pulse propagation, etc.2
Jook Right On: Blues Stories and Blues Storytellers

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Barry Lee Pearson Year: 2005 Pages: 272 Publisher: University of Tennessee Press ISBN: 1-57233-431-2 (hard cover). Prices: $45.00 US(hard cover).
Chapter 16. Antidiabetics

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the development and biochemistry of antidiabetics. Diabetes is characterized by a deficiency of effective insulin that could result from the defective synthesis or release of insulin by the pancreatic B-cells, an increased hepatic degradation of insulin by glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase, or the binding of insulin to a larger protein in the bloodstream. Several amino acids and proteins also stimulate insulin release. The mechanism by which the various amino acids cause insulin release is apparently different as diazoxide inhibits the insulin releasing effect of leucine but not of arginine. Leucine-induced insulin release is magnified by pretreatment with sulfonylureas, whereas this is not the case with other amino acids. It has been postulated that the synalbumin insulin antagonist might actually be the B chain of insulin. The antagonist has been separated from albumin and has been shown to be similar to insulin B chain in many of its physicochemical properties. The finding that albumin bound B chain antagonizes insulin in vitro and in vivo adds credence to the hypothesis that synalbumin and insulin B chain could be identical. The detection of immunoassayable B chain in human plasma further supports the B chain-synalbmin theory.
Correction: The effects of aging and activity on muscle blood flow.

Correction After publication of our paper [1], we discovered that our normalized blood velocity and compliance numbers were 60 times higher than they should have been. The revised Figure 1 and Figure 2, along with Table 1 are shown here with the correct values. Heart rate, blood pressure, and half time to recovery of blood flow and oxygen saturation from the original article are all correct. The statistical analysis and interpretation of the data remain unchanged. We apologize for the error. Published: 08 July 2003
On the voltage profile of distribution feeders with distributed generation

This paper derives simple analytical expressions of voltage profile along radial distribution feeders containing distributed generation (DG) units. The analysis assumes fixed substation voltage by LTC transformer is based on uniformly distributed loads. DG active and reactive power generation limits constrained by permissible voltage levels are also expressed as a function of DG location along the feeder. The method is extended to more practical feeders with concentrated loads and line segments with different conductor size and geometry. The analysis is illustrated by a numerical example that shows that the analytical expressions derived are quite accurate.
Biochemical and cytological changes associated with expression of deregulated pp60src in Xenopus oocytes

We have examined the effects of Xenopus pp60c-src with constitutive kinase activity on the morphology and maturation of Xenopus laevis oocytes. When RNA encoding this deregulated variant was injected into stage VI oocytes, we observed a gross alteration in the cortex of the oocyte. This alteration involved aggregation of pigment and invagination of the cortex in a large area proximal to the site of injection. This phenomenon was not seen in oocytes injected with RNA encoding wild-type pp60c-src. We have correlated this phenomenon with the tyrosine phosphorylation of 84- and 100-kDa proteins. These phosphorylated proteins colocalized with the alteration in the oocyte cortex when assayed by both biochemical and immunocytochemical methods. Neither the pigment aggregation nor phosphorylation of the 84- and 100-kDa proteins was observed in oocytes expressing a nonmyristoylated version of the deregulated pp60c-src. Expression of deregulated Xenopus fyn, a src-family member, resulted in a phenotype similar to that seen with deregulated src. However, in the fyn-injected oocytes, many more proteins were phosphorylated on tyrosine than in the src-injected oocytes. Progesterone stimulation of oocytes expressing deregulated pp60c-src resulted in an increase in the number of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins. This change may represent the response of pp60src to the resumption of the cell cycle in maturing oocytes. These data suggest that the oocyte may be a particularly useful system for investigating the role of pp60c-src in the regulation of cytoskeletal structure and in the regulation of events associated with the cell cycle.
Loop movement and catalysis in creatine kinase.

Summary Recently the crystal structure of creatine kinase from Torpedocalifornica was determined to 2.1 A ˚ . The dimeric structure revealed two different forms in the unit cell: one monomer was bound to a substrate, MgADP, and the other monomer was bound to a transition-state analogue complex composed of MgADP, nitrate and creatine. The most striking difference between the structures is the movement of two loops (comprising residues 60 – 70 and residues 323 – 333) into the active site in the transition state structure. This loop movement effectively occludes the active site from solvent, and the loops appear to be locked into place by a salt bridge formed between His66 and Asp326. His66 is of particular interest as it is located within a PGHP motif conserved in all creatine kinases but not found in other guanidino kinases. We have carried out alaninescanning mutagenesis of each of the residues in the PGHP motif and determined that only the His66 plays a significant role in the creatine kinase reaction. Although neither residue interacts directly with the substrate, the interaction His66 and Asp326 appears to be important in providing the precise alignment of substrates necessary for phosphoryl group transfer. Finally, it is clear that neither His66 nor Asp326 are responsible for the pKs observed in the pH-rate profile for HMCK. IUBMB Life, 57: 355 – 362, 2005
Absolute and relative stability of an optical frequency reference based on spectral hole burning in Eu3+:Y2SiO5.

We present and analyze four frequency measurements designed to characterize the performance of an optical frequency reference based on spectral hole burning in ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{3+}\mathrm{\text{:}}{\mathrm{Y}}_{2}{\mathrm{SiO}}_{5}$. The first frequency comparison, between a single unperturbed spectral hole and a hydrogen maser, demonstrates a fractional frequency drift rate of $5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}18}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. Optical frequency comparisons between a pattern of spectral holes, a Fabry-P\'erot cavity, and an ${\mathrm{Al}}^{+}$ optical atomic clock show a short-term fractional frequency stability of $1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}15}{\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}1/2}$ that averages down to ${2.5}_{\ensuremath{-}0.5}^{+1.1}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$ at $\ensuremath{\tau}=540\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{s}$ (with linear frequency drift removed). Finally, spectral-hole patterns in two different ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{3+}\mathrm{\text{:}}{\mathrm{Y}}_{2}{\mathrm{SiO}}_{5}$ crystals located in the same cryogenic vessel are compared, yielding a short-term stability of $7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}{\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}1/2}$ that averages down to ${5.5}_{\ensuremath{-}0.9}^{+1.8}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}17}$ at $\ensuremath{\tau}=204\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{s}$ (with quadratic frequency drift removed).
Living donor kidney transplantation across positive crossmatch: the University of Illinois at Chicago experience.

Background To increase living donation for kidney transplantation, we investigated desensitization of recipients with positive crossmatch against a potential living donor. Methods Between June 2001 and March 2007, 57 consecutive sensitized candidates for kidney transplantation, with crossmatch positive potential living donors, were treated with various desensitization protocols. All patients received plasmapheresis every other day with intravenous immune globulin 100 mg/kg starting 1 week before the scheduled transplant. Postoperatively, the recipients continued to receive every other day plasmapheresis with intravenous immune globulin for the initial week. Immunosuppression therapy consisted of induction with thymoglobulin and a combination of tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and corticosteroids. Results Six patients failed to convert with pretransplant immunomodulation and were not transplanted; 51 underwent live donor kidney transplant. Mean follow-up was 23 months and 36 patients have more than 1-year follow-up. One-year patient and graft survivals were 95% and 93%, respectively. There were 25 episodes of biopsy-proven or clinically presumed rejection in 22 patients in the first year. Of the 17 biopsy-proven episodes, 12 were antibody-mediated rejection and five were acute cellular rejection. Of the patients with antibody-mediated rejection (biopsy proven or empiric), two patients (12%) lost their graft by 1 year. The median modification of diet in renal disease at 6 and 12 months was 55 mL/min (range 9-104 mL/min) and 48 mL/min (range 8-99), respectively. Conclusions Despite increased rejection rates, graft and patient survivals indicate that desensitization of positive crossmatch patients is a reasonable alternative for a sensitized patient who could potentially wait 10 or more years for a suitable cadaveric kidney.
Quantifying the Financial Implications of Corporate Environmental Performance

It has been difficult to quantify the implications of environmental issues for a company9s performance. The authors demonstrate a novel approach to estimation of the costs of compliance with pending or possible environmental actions in the U.S. pulp and paper industry, noted for its energy use and emission of a wide range of toxic pollutants. They also question the adequacy of company disclosures related to financially material environmental risks.
Virtue theory and organizations: considering persons with disabilities

Purpose – This research aims to apply virtue theory to the under‐employment problem of persons with disabilities (PWD). Historically, PWD have been under‐employed within society and discriminated against in the workplace. The authors review virtue theory research and illustrate how it can be used to better support the meaningful employment of PWD.Design/methodology/approach – This research reviews the current literature in the areas of virtue theory and the employment challenges of PWD to create a new framework that can assist in the integration of PWD into the workplace.Findings – Literature on the employment of PWD indicates that significant differences exist in the employment experiences between PWD and persons without disabilities (PWOD). Problems such as stigmatization impede the integration of PWD into the work environment. The review of the virtue theory literature supports the development of a new framework that provides additional ways to address this ongoing problem.Practical implications – This...