cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
‘Kondopoga’ – Ethnic/Social Tension in Putin’s Russia

The end of Putin’s presidency – or at least what one could regard as the end of his presidency – was marked by several major riots between ethnic Russians and people from the Caucasus of various ethnic and religious backgrounds. ‘Caucasians’ are usually seen as awry by the majority of Russians. Chechens are often singled out as the symbol of all the negative effects that the presence of ‘Caucasians’ and, in fact, all minorities, brings with it: domination of the market, crime, and changes in the demographic/cultural balance of the country. In more general terms, ‘Caucasians,’ especially Chechens, have coalesced in the minds of many Russians as responsible for all the ills of the post-Soviet era and which have continued through Putin’s tenure. There is increasing social as well as regional division. In fact, the gap between prosperous Moscow and a few other big cities and the small towns and cities and rural areas of the Russian heartland continues to be quite wide. All of this social and social/regional tension has manifested itself not so much in social/class animus, as was the case at the beginning of the 20th century, but in increasing ethnic tension. This has led to several major ethnic riots in the last years of Putin’s tenure, with those in Kondopoga, a small city in Karelia in the northern part of European Russia, as the best known. These riots, in which hundreds of people were involved, left several dead, and many injured. They received much coverage in the Russian press and stuck in the mind of the public as few events in recent Russian history have done. While, in themselves, the Kondopoga events have not led to any major upheaval, their occurrence indicates the serious tension in Russian society, which plays an important role in the case of major crises. The Kondopoga violence also indicates that Russia has the same problems as most countries of the West, which recently have experienced changes in demographic and social/cultural composition due to waves of immigrants, mostly from non-European countries.
Frontal EEG asymmetry in response to emotional vignettes in preschool age children

EEG recordings were conducted with preschool children during presentations of videotaped vignettes depicting a fictional young child experiencing happy, sad, angry, and fearful events. Significant ...
Dry-season Water Quality in the San Gabriel River Watershed

Abstract Dry-season flow in the San Gabriel River system is comprised mostly of discharges from water reclamation plants (WRPs), imported water, and storm drains. Although the magnitude of dry-season discharge is generally known, the water quality associated with most of these “introduced” discharges has not been characterized, nor has the associated in-stream response, particularly near storm drain discharges. The goal of this study was to characterize the pattern and magnitude of storm drain and WRP inputs to the San Gabriel River system and the associated in-stream response. To accomplish this, two synoptic dry-weather surveys were conducted, one in 2002 and the other in 2003 during which flow, metals, bacteria, and nutrient concentrations were measured from the WRPs, storm drains, and in-stream locations at a single point in time. For bacteria and most metals, storm drains accounted for the majority of mass emissions to the river. In contrast, WRPs were the primary source for nutrients. In-stream wate...
Chemical Diversity in Essential Oil Compositions of Leaf, Herb and Flower in Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.)

Abstract This research was conducted to determine chemical variability in terms of essential oil compositions in leaves, herb and flowers of lemon balm. In experiment, Melissa officinalis ssp. officinalis was used as the material. Leaf and herb samples were taken before flowering stage while flower samples were taken at full flowering stage. The essential oils were isolated by hydro-distillation and analyzed by GC/MS. According to results, significant variations were observed in leaves, herb and flowers as concerns essential oil components. Thirteen, fifteen and fourteen components were identified in leaves, herb and flowers, respectively. In leaves and flower, main component was citral (25.22% and 21.20%), followed by caryophyllene oxide (21.95% and 18.44%) and z-citral (19.08% and 16.03%). Compared to leaf and flower, herb showed differences in terms of major components. While, caryophyllene oxide (29.25%) was the main component, citral (15.20%) and β- caryophyllene (12.14%) were the second and third components in herb, respectively. Keywords: Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, essential oil compositions, caryophyllene oxide Ozet Bu calisma ogulotu (Melissa officinalis L.)’nun yaprak, herba ve cicegindeki ucucu yag bilesenleri acisindan degisimi belirlemek icin yapilmistir. Denemede materyal olarak Melissa officinalis ssp. officinalis kullanilmistir. Yaprak ve herba ornekleri ciceklenme oncesi donemde alinirken, cicek ornekleri tam ciceklenme doneminde alinmistir. Ucucu yaglar su distilasyonu yontemiyle elde edilmis olup, GC/MS cihaziyla bilesen analizi yapilmistir. Arastirma sonuclarina gore, yaprak, herba ve cicekte ucucu yag bilesenleri bakimindan onemli degisimler tespit edilmistir. Yaprak, herba ve cicekte sirasiyla 13, 15 ve 14 ucucu yag bileseni belirlenmistir. Yaprak ve cicekte ana bilesen citral (%25.22 ve %21.20) olurken, bunu caryophyllene oxide (%21.95 ve %18.44) ve z-citral (%19.08 ve %16.03) izlemistir. Yaprak ve cicekle kiyaslandiginda, ana bilesenler bakimindan herbada farkliliklar gorulmustur. Nitekim herbada caryophyllene oxide (%29.25) ana bilesen olurken, citral (%15.20) ve β-caryophyllene (%12.14) sirasiyla ikinci ve ucuncu bilesen olmustur. Anahtar kelimeler: Ogulotu, Melissa officinalis, ucucu yag bilesenleri, caryophyllene oxide
Taxoids in head and neck cancer: the American approach.

Taxoids in head and neck cancer: the American approach. The taxoids docetaxel and paclitaxel entered into clinical trials in the 1980s. Paclitaxel has dominated clinical investigations in the United States while docetaxel gained a foothold early in Europe. Now both agents are under intensive study in both countries. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) conducted a series of paclitaxel trials in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell head and neck. The current study directly compares paclitaxel + cisplatin to cisplatin - 5-FU. Similarly, an international trial is in progress directly comparing docetaxel-based chemotherapy to cisplatin + 5-FU. For patients with locally advanced disease, phase I-II trials evaluating various doses and schedules of paclitaxel or docetaxel administered concurrently with radiotherapy are in progress or recently reported in preliminary form. No one regimen is clearly preferred. The results of selected studies and trials in progress in the United States are reviewed.
Opinio Juris Symposium 2006: Kanwar Reply to Murphy

This is a Reply to Commentary by Prof. Sean D. Murphy on the Author's working paper "The Legislator of Last Resort" responding to both the finer points of law and the broader brush of policy. The Author (1) explains the genesis of this project, before proceeding to (2) potential disagreements on law and fact, and (3) Murphy's normative challenges to the proposal that the UNSC should pursue “lateral” rather than “reactive” strategies.
At War in Distant Waters: British Colonial Defense in the Great War. By Phillip G. Pattee. (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2013. Pp. xi, 272. $59.95.)

For the British Empire, the First World War was a global conflict, with battles stretching across the broad expanses of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific. Most historians characterize ...
The BACTEC Radiometric System for Detection and Rapid Identification of Mycobacteria

We have found the current BACTEC system using 12B medium to be a rapid, reliable method for the detection and differentiation of mycobacteria species. We evaluated the results of 1,081 mycobacterial cultures using a combination of BACTEC andhowenstein-Jensen medium. Twenty-nine cultures (2.68%) were positive for clinically significant isolates with either BACTEC, Lowenstein-]ensen, or both. BACTEC had an overall sensitivity of 89.6% for both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other mycobacteria compared to 69% for recovery on Lowenstein-Jensen medium. The combined mean time to detection was greatly reduced with BACTEC compared to Lowenstein-] ensen medium, 12.4 vs24.3 days. Rapid differentiation between M tuberculosis complex and other mycobacteria was achieved with an overall mean time of4.4 days. Preliminary identification using the NAP differential test was confirmed with conventional tests in 22 of 24 cases. Two preliminary identifications were incorrect—one was M tuberculosis read as mycobacteria other than tuberculosis and one was M kansasii read as M tuberculosis complex. Suggestions are made for stricter interpretationof the NAP differential growth pattern to avoid such incorrect preliminary identification.
Manufacturing of Low Cost Precision 3D Micro Optics

Conventional lithography based micromachining methods often involves in complex facilities, templates and repeated mechanical alignments. In addition, majority of the batch micromachining processes are 2.5D. In a departure from classical cleanroom based process, this research is aimed to establish a cost-effective, high precision, true 3D micromachining method with high flexibility. Specifically, a combination of ultraprecision micromachining and high volume replication methods, such as microinjection molding and 3D photolithographic projection, and hot embossing were investigated.
An Improved Model for Wind Power Forecast Error Distribution

Due to the limited accuracy of present wind power forecasting system,error may occur between the wind power forecast value and the actual output.And the distribution characteristic of the forecast error provides important reference to the forecast accuracy evaluation and the optimal dispatching of power system with large-scale wind power integration.As for the currently-used normal distribution model,its accuracy,to some extent,deviates from the actual probability distribution of forecast error.Based on this normal distribution model,this paper proposes a new method of modeling wind power forecast error based on the theories of probability density function and least square method.The calculation and analysis results based on EirGrid wind power forecast data verify the validity of this proposed method,and compared with the normal distribution model,this method is more accurate.
Studying the snow leopard: reconceptualizing conservation across the China–India border

The snow leopard is a highly charismatic megafauna that elicits admiration, concern and donations from individuals and NGOs in the West. In its home territories, however, it is a threat to local communities' livestock and a potential source of income for its pelt and parts. Conservation and study are further challenged by its range; snow leopards traverse the borders separating China, India and ten other countries with long histories of tension with each other as well as internal political and economic struggles. This transnational animal provides an ideal case study for the consideration of transnational conservation science in the recent past.
Optical electrophysiology for probing function and pharmacology of voltage-gated ion channels.

Ion channels are specialized proteins that span the cell membrane. When activated, these channels allow ions to pass through them, which can produce electrical spikes that carry information in nerve cells and regulate the beating of the heart. Researchers interested in understanding how ion channels behave often use a technique called patch clamp electrophysiology to measure the electrical current across the cell membrane. The technique can be used to probe if a specific drug can block an ion channel, but it is not well suited to screening lots of potential drugs because it is slow and expensive. A group of ion channels known as voltage-gated sodium channels play an important role in generating the electrical spikes in nerve cells. One subtype called NaV1.7 is involved in sensing pain and drugs that block NaV1.7 might be useable as painkillers, but only if they are specific to this channel. This is because there are many similar sodium channels that are important in other processes in the body. Zhang et al. have now developed a new light-based technique to measure how ion channels behave. The technique uses light to activate the channel and a fluorescent protein to report on the membrane’s voltage. Zhang et al. used the new technique to probe how sodium channels, in particular NaV1.7, interact with drugs. Mammalian cells grown in the lab were engineered to produce NaV1.7, a light-activated ion channel (called CheRiff), and a fluorescent reporter protein. A flash of blue light delivered to the cells activated CheRiff, which in turn activated NaV1.7. At the same time, the fluorescence of the reporter protein was used as a read-out of NaV1.7’s activity. Zhang et al. showed that they could reproduce many conventional electrophysiology measurements using their new light-based approach. Optical measurements were then used to screen 320 drugs to see whether they could block NaV1.7. The results of the screen corresponded closely with measurements made using conventional electrophysiology. These results demonstrate that the new optical technique is both fast and precise enough to be used in drug discovery. Further studies could now ask if this optical technique can also be used to study other ion channels, such as potassium channels and calcium channels.
A carboxyl-terminally truncated mutant and nonglycosylated A2a adenosine receptors retain ligand binding.

The amino acids that comprise the ligand binding sites of adenosine receptors have not been identified. Adenosine and its agonist analogues differ from ligands for the well studied biogenic amine receptors and rhodopsin in that the adenosine receptor agonists are larger, contain a ribose moiety, and are uncharged at physiological pH. Thus, the locations of the ligand binding pockets of the adenosine receptors could differ significantly from those of the biogenic amine receptors. This report describes the characterization of a purification-amenable truncated mutant of the canine A2a adenosine receptor and demonstrates that neither the long carboxyl-terminal tail nor the glycosidic moiety appears to be required for ligand binding. The dog thyroid A2a adenosine receptor cDNA (RDC8) was subcloned into the mammalian expression vector pCMV4. A mutant A2a construct, in which six histidines replaced residues 310-412 as the carboxyl terminus of the protein, also was prepared. When overexpressed transiently in COS M6 cells, the wild-type and mutant A2a receptors exhibited similar 2-[p-(2-[3H]carboxyethyl)phenylethylamino]-5'-N- ethylcarboxamidoadenosine saturation binding and competition curve profiles. The following biochemical techniques confirmed that the COS M6 cells were transcribing and translating A2a receptors of the expected molecular masses: (a) immunoblotting with an antipeptide antibody directed against the putative carboxyl-terminal side of the second extracellular loop (Tyr155-Val172) of the canine A2a adenosine receptor, (b) photoaffinity labeling with the A2a-selective agonist 125I-2-[4-[2-[2-[(4-azidophenyl)methylcarbonylamino] ethylaminocarbonyl]ethyl]phenyl]ethylamino-5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoad enosine (125I-azido-PAPA-APEC), and (c) partial purification of the hexahistidine-tagged receptor on Ni2+.nitrilotriacetic acid resin. A presumed A2a receptor (44 kDa) from rabbit striatal membranes also was detected with the antisera against amino acids Tyr155-Val172 of the RDC8 receptor. Not only could the mutant A2a receptor be photolabeled specifically with 125I-azido-PAPA-APEC but so too could unglycosylated A2a receptors (i.e., from tunicamycin-treated COS M6 cells), either full length or truncated. In all of these cases, photolabeling was attenuated by both agonist and antagonist competitors.
Levator Aponeurotic Dehiscence: A Pictorial Review

Ptosis repair is one of the most challenging surgeries to master due to the wide variety of techniques and clinical scenarios. Experience is likely the best tool that you can develop. This pictorial review aims to help recognize the best anatomy that lends itself to simple levator advancement.
A rising generation of Europeans? Revisited

The EJPR article ‘A rising generation of Europeans?’ provided systematic evidence for the existence of generational differences in attitudes towards the European Union (EU). In this research note, it is argued that identifying generational differences in specifically affective orientations is the crucial issue for the future of the EU. Drawing on and extending the earlier work expectations in respect to generational and life-cycle differences in affective orientations are developed and tested, highlighting the existence of the former, their consistency across a range of indicators, and the absence of the latter. The results are an important counterpoint to the growth in ambivalence in attitudes towards the EU.
Intimate Transactions: Sex Toys and the Sexual Discourse of Second-Wave Feminism

This article examines customer correspondence to Eve’s Garden from women throughout the United States from 1974 to 1989 to determine how ordinary women at the height of the second-wave feminist movement grappled with fraught issues surrounding changing conceptions of sexuality. These exchanges show that feminist sex debates were incorporated into women’s everyday lives, often in terms of a conflict between sexual desires and feminist principles, providing evidence that the personal truly was political. My article shows that sex toys helped women envision their sexuality in new ways. Letters show how ordinary women struggled to take control of their sexuality by creating relationships with commercial establishments in a world awash in social and political changes. Three principal themes emerge from customer correspondence. First is that many feminists were initially skeptical that sex toys could be reconciled with feminist political beliefs. Second is the ambivalence about using an inanimate object, a machine, for sexual pleasure. And third is the complicated role of sex toys in relationships, both lesbian and straight, particularly when women desired vaginal penetration with dildos.
Indefinite reasoning with definite rules

In this paper we present a novel explanation of the source of indefinite information in common sense reasoning: Indefinite information arises from reports about the world expressed in terms of concepts that have been defined using only definite rules. Adopting this point of view, we show that first-order logic is insufficiently expressive to handle important examples of common sense reasoning. As a remedy, we propose the use of circumscribed definite rules, and we then investigate the proof theory of this more expressive framework. We consider two approaches: First, prototypical proofs, a special type of proof by induction, which yields a sound proof theory. Second, we describe cases in which there exists a decision procedure for answering queries, a particularly significant result because it shows that it is possible to have decidable query processing in circumscribed theories that are not equivalent to any first order theory.
Response of seagrass (Thalassia testudinum) metrics to short-term nutrient enrichment and grazing manipulations

Abstract The relative influence of top-down and bottom-up factors in seagrass communities has received considerable attention; however, individual seagrass attributes do not always respond in consistent fashion across studies. Because these metrics have been used as indicators of ecosystem stress, it is necessary to examine whether seagrass response to nutrient enrichment and grazing is persistent. To do so, we examined seagrass and epiphyte response to field manipulations of nutrients and grazing in Big Lagoon , FL, USA where previous studies were conducted with similar methodologies. Our manipulations were successful in elevating water column and porewater nutrient levels. Nutrient additions caused significant increases in tissue nitrogen contents ( p = 0.01), but they did not affect seagrass or epiphyte biomass , shoot density, or percent cover. Aboveground biomass was significantly reduced in both treatments involving grazing simulations when compared to the fertilizer addition only treatment ( p = 0.001). Fish counts revealed greater numbers of pinfish in fertilized plots compared to all other treatments (p = 0.000), suggesting the fish were attracted to plots in which fertilization resulted in elevated tissue nitrogen contents. Overall, effects of fertilization and grazing on various seagrass attributes showed both similarities and differences in comparison to other studies from the same and different locations, raising the question about how predictable and informative the responses of individual seagrass characteristics for discerning the relative, long-term influence of these factors on seagrass populations.
Towards understanding the microstructural and structural changes in natural hierarchical materials for energy recovery: In-operando multi-scale X-ray scattering characterization of Na- and Ca-montmorillonite on heating to 1150 °C

Understanding the changes in the microstructures and structures of clays with varying intercalated metal ions at elevated temperatures is of importance for many applications ranging from the recovery of shale gas from unconventional formations to developing effective nuclear waste containment technologies, and engineering materials such as ceramics for fuel cell applications. In this study, synchrotron-based in-operando multi-scale X-ray scattering analyses are used to determine dynamic microstructural and crystal structural changes in Na- and Ca-montmorillonite on heating from 30 °C to 1150 °C. Larger cations such as Ca2+ confer more defined morphological regimes compared to Na+ ions in compacted clays, as evident from the ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering results. The hierarchical morphology of clays is characterized to distinguish between nano-scale interlayer swelling porosity, meso-scale porosity, and intergranular pore spaces between powdered clay grains. On heating from ambient temperature to 200 °C, the removal of interlayer water reduced the basal distances to 9.6 A. On further heating to 800 °C, gradual dehydroxylation of the clay sheets is evident from the structural changes. The effects of sintering at temperatures greater than 800 °C are evident from significant reductions in the intrinsic porosities of the clay sheets, and the formation of newer phases such as mullite. By connecting the in-operando microstructural and structural changes across spatial scales ranging from micrometers to Angstroms, the possibility of engineering high temperature processes for achieving morphologies and chemical compositions of interest is presented.
Waves as the Symmetry Principle Underlying Cosmic, Cell, and Human Languages

In 1997, the author concluded that living cells use a molecular language (cellese) that is isomorphic with the human language (humanese) based on his finding that the former shared 10 out of the 13 design features of the latter. In 2012, the author postulated that cellese and humanese derived from a third language called the cosmic language (or cosmese) and that what was common among these three kinds of languages was waves—i.e., sound waves for humanese, concentration waves for cellese, and quantum waves for cosmese. These waves were suggested to be the symmetry principle underlying cosmese, cellese, and humanese. We can recognize at least five varieties of waves—(i) electromagnetic; (ii) mechanical; (iii) chemical concentration; (iv) gravitational; and (v) probability waves, the last being non-material, in contrast to the first four, which are all material. The study of waves is called “cymatics” and the invention of CymaScope by J. S. Reid of the United Kingdom in 2002 is expected to accelerate the study of waves in general. CymaScope has been used to visualize not only human sounds (i.e., humanese) but also sounds made by individual cells (cellese) in conjunction with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) (unpublished observations of J. Gimzewski of UCLA and J. Reid). It can be predicted that the gravitational waves recently detected by the Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) will be visualized with CymaScope one day, thereby transforming gravitational waves into CymaGlyphs. Since cellese in part depends on RNA concentration waves (or RNA glyphs) and humanese includes hieroglyphs that were decoded by Champollion in 1822, it seems reasonable to use cymaglyphs, RNA glyphs, and hieroglyphs as symbols of cosmese, cellese, and humanese, respectively, all based on the principle of waves as the medium of communication.
Virtual Mentoring Program within an Online Doctoral Nursing Education Program: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of doctoral nursing education students who participated in a virtual mentoring program. A phenomenological design was used to enable the researchers to gain an understanding of the research phenomenon. The three patterns that emerged during the study were Confirmation of Mentoring, Building Communities, and Learning the Role of Doctoral Student. Under the pattern of Confirmation of Mentoring were the themes of Receiving Academic Support and Receiving Personal Support. Under the pattern of Building Communities were the themes of Getting to Know Mentors and Understanding the Importance of Relationships. Under the pattern of Learning of Role of Doctoral Student were the themes of Balancing Time and Learning Technology. Additional research is needed to more fully explore virtual mentoring within doctoral programs.
Generalized Polynomial H∞ Predictive Control Utilizing Minimax Prediction

Abstract This paper presents a predictor which minimizes the cost function of the prediction error in a minimax sense, yielding minimization of the peaks of the prediction error spectrum, rather than its integral on the unit circle. This predictor is then used for the derivation of a predictive minimax control law. This one degree of freedom control law minimizes the peaks of a generalized cost function in the frequency domain. The predictor and control algorithms are derived via embedding of the minimax problem within an LQ problem using polynomial methods.
Define the Problem (Worksheet B)

The goal of this chapter is to clearly define and substantiate the problem that the intervention is expected to prevent or improve, based on the literature. Worksheet B is presented, described relative to making a difference in practice, and shown in completed from using data abstracted from a published article. Upon completion of Worksheet B, the reader will have defined the problem, substantiated the importance of the problem with relevant literature, and identified the method for measuring the problem over time. This information, together with the information from Worksheet C (Chap. 12) and Worksheet D (Chap. 13), will set the stage for launching the study.
Leaf Disk Test: Bioassay of Effect of Tannins on Insect Feeding Behavior

The feeding behavior of herbivorous insects is guided by plant chemistry. There are specialists and generalists with regard to the range of plant species they attack. Nutrients such as sugars and proteins, and secondary plant compounds such as phenolics, terpenoids, or alkaloids, determine whether or not an insect will feed on a plant and to what extent.
Suicide Among Youth of Soviet-Jewish Origin

The unique psychological and sociocultural variables influencing the development of suicidality in Soviet-Jewish adolescents are examined in this chapter. Stressors endemic to this refugee population and cultural complexities related to pre- and peri-migration stress and resettlement are examined. Soviet-Jewish refugee adolescents and the intricate complexities of their multidimensional ethnic and religious identity, as well as nonlinear acculturation patterns, are discussed. There is some evidence of heightened rates of depression, demoralization, and somatization of psychological distress in this population. There is also evidence that over time, some adolescents become more strongly identified with Russian culture and have trouble integrating into American culture. Due to the lengthy history of psychiatric abuse in the Former Soviet Union, Russian-Jewish immigrants may be particularly wary of pursuing mental health services for themselves and their teenage children. Possible treatment approaches for this population are discussed to help facilitate outreach to this community.
Fernández Druetta, Lelio. Un claro laberinto. Compilador y editor Jean-Paul Margot

Tanto le debo a Lelio Fernandez . . . La enumeracion incompleta de esa deuda me lleva a mis anos de filosofia en Cali, Colombia, de 1985 a 1989. En sus clases, gracias al placer por la lectura en detalle, Lelio contagiaba con la emocion de querer entender; lograba conectarnos con la historia de la cultura sin desplegar ninguna ayuda “audio-visual”; transmitia su deseo de estar siempre saboreando las obras de Baruch Spinoza (1632‒1677) y de Jorge Luis Borges (1899‒1986); se limitaba a sentarse detras de un escritorio en los salones de clase, hablando bajo y con precision y con emocion contenida; era necesario llegar casi dos horas antes a ese salon de clase en la Universidad del Valle para no estar obligado a medio-escuchar sus pensamientos en el corredor; me ayudo en la traduccion de los apartes en latin, y aun no publicados en castellano, que Umberto Eco (1932‒2016) incluyo en El nombre de la rosa; y tradujo al castellano, con Jean-Paul Margot, el Breve tratado de la reforma del entendimiento tambien de Spinoza.
A Novel Risk Score Predicts Operative Mortality After Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Repair.

Background Current stratification systems for patients presenting with acute type A aortic dissection rely on signs of malperfusion to predict mortality. The authors sought to develop an algorithm to readily risk stratify these patients using admission characteristics. Methods Two hundred sixty-nine consecutive patients who underwent type A repair between 2002 and 2015 were reviewed for easily obtainable preoperative demographics and laboratory values deemed a priori as potential predictors of operative mortality. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine independent significance, and linear regression was performed to generate the concomitant regression expression of the variables significant on bivariate analysis. Results Operative mortality was 16% (43/269) and was 29% (34/119) among patients who presented with malperfusion. Upon multivariate analysis, creatinine (p = 0.008), liver malperfusion (p = 0.006), and lactic acid level (p = 0.0007) remained independent significant predictors. Regression coefficients allowed the generation of a risk score as 5.5 × (lactic acid [mmol/L]) + 8 × (creatinine [mg/dL]) ± 8 (+ if liver malperfusion presents, – if no liver malperfusion). Upon receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis this model generated a c-statistic of 0.75. Operative mortality among patients within the lowest tertile (risk score Conclusions Although still requiring external validation, the innovative risk score presented necessitates knowledge of lactic acid, serum creatinine, and liver function tests. The algorithm predicts operative mortality with high accuracy and offers clinicians a novel tool to improve preoperative guidance and prognosis.
LAND-ATMOSPHERE INTERACTIONS | Canopy Processes

This article summarizes the processes that connect vegetation canopies to the atmosphere. After a review of canopy structure and leaf arrangement, photosynthesis is discussed, including a review of the various biochemical pathways that vascular plants use to sequester carbon from and release water vapor to the atmosphere. Atmospheric controls on the connection of vascular plants to the atmosphere through stomata at both the leaf and canopy levels are discussed. Other topics discussed include light penetration through canopies, canopy productivity, wind and turbulence, and the remote sensing of canopy properties.
Productivity of Zooxanthellae

Zooxanthellae are photosynthetic unicellular marine algae endosymbiotic with marine invertebrates. The term is a vernacular derivation of the original genus Zooxantheila, coined by Brandt (1) to describe the dinoflagellate symbionts of the radiolarian Collozoum inerme Haeckel, but now used to describe almost any yellow-brown unicellular algal symbiont. Analysis of zooxanthellae taxonomy and the evidence for genetic diversity of zooxanthellae is reviewed elsewhere (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
Embryonic and Fetal Periods

The embryonic period, extending from conception to the ninth week of gestation, is an active period of growth and formation of different organs and systems. Inadequate blood flow or oxygen deprivation during this period of time may have significant effects on embryo formation (Figs. 6–9).
Development of the National Embryo Donation Center

The use of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) has proliferated rapidly since the birth of Louise Brown in England in 1978 via in vitro fertilization with embryo transfer (IVF–ET, or more commonly, IVF). The ability to cryopreserve embryos followed shortly thereafter, increasing the potential success rates while decreasing the costs, thereby becoming a standard practice among ART clinics. Unfortunately, the proliferation of these technologies led to an unanticipated problem, i.e., the prolonged storage of large numbers of frozen embryos. The reasons that couples fail to use or make a decision on the fate of their frozen embryos has been the subject of a number of studies. Some couples are simply uncomfortable with the idea of anyone else raising their biological child(ren). Others are concerned about whether their embryos will go to a “good home”. Another concern is that the offspring will eventually find them and demand to know why they were not raised by their genetic parents. A less rational, but still common concern, is that their “unknown” children might eventually marry their brother or sister. Finally, other couples simply don’t understand the processes involved, and due to a lack of information or someone to speak to, simply avoid the decision entirely (Elford et al., 2004, pp. 1154–1155; de Lacey, 2005, p. 1668). Whatever the reasons, the result is that over 400,000 embryos are currently being cryopreserved in the USA alone. And, although surveys indicate that 90% or more of couples are keeping them “for their own use” (Hoffman et al., 2003, p. 1063), experience shows that a large percentage, perhaps one-half of them, will never be used by their genetic parents. The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) was founded to address this dilemma. The idea of a national center that provided comprehensive embryo adoption and donation services was originally the idea of Dr. David Stevens, who serves as CEO of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations (CMDA). Dr. Stevens presented me with this idea in late 2002. We agreed that the large, and increasing, number of frozen embryos was of concern from medical, legal, and ethical perspectives. We saw the potential to assist both couples who have remaining frozen embryos, as well as infertile couples who desire to experience the
Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) sequencing and developmental delay: Preliminary evidence for a SNP in the 3' UTR region of the POMC gene-Possible relevance for biological risk and self-injurious behavior.

The proopiomelanocortin (POMC) molecule has been implicated in models of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in neurodevelopmental disorders, but it has never been specifically sequenced in search of base specific polymorphisms. The empirical focus of this preliminary study was to sequence the POMC gene in 11 children (mean age = 41.8 months, range = 12–60 months; 73% male) with clinical concerns regarding global developmental delay, 5 with reported self-injury. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples, and the POMC gene was amplified by specific oligonucleotide primers via polymerase chain reaction. The amplified gene products were sequenced by the University of Minnesota Genomic Center, and the results were analyzed using Sequencher software. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), 1130 C>T, was found in the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of two samples (one of whom had SIB). The program TargetScanHuman was used to predict the function of this mutation. Variant c.1130 C<T was predicted to be located in the target site of two microRNAs (miRNAs; hsa-mir-3715 and hsa-mir-1909), and the variant allele T may result in an increased minimum free energy for the two miRNAs. Further work with much larger samples is needed to continue the investigation of POMC’s possible function as a risk factor for the development of SIB in children with developmental delay/disability. The findings presented in this study show that the SNP found in the 3’ UTR could alter the binding of miRNAs to POMC 3’UTR, thus, increasing POMC expression and affecting several biological systems with high relevance to the biology of self-injury. There was a significant difference in β-endorphin levels between SIB (M = 169.25 pg/mL) and no SIB (M = 273.5 pg/mL, SD = 15.2) cases ( p < .01). Intervention implications are tied to prior observations of individual differences among SIB responders and nonresponders to treatment with the opioid antagonist naltrexone. Stratifying individuals with SIB by POMC mutation status may provide a potential tailoring-like variable to guide the selection of who is more (or less) likely to respond to opiate antagonist treatment. Currently, opioid antagonistic treatment for SIB is empiric (trial and error).
Can Pediatricians Provide Long-Acting Reversible Contraception?

Abstract Study Objective In the United States, 40% of high-school students have sex; few use highly effective and safe long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs): intrauterine devices and implants. Pediatricians are key health providers for many adolescents, yet few provide LARCs. Our objective was to understand the pragmatics of provision of LARCs (rather than beliefs or attitudes) and identify barriers to and opportunities for LARC provision by community-practicing pediatricians. Design We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semistructured interviews. Qualitative methods are valuable for generating conceptual models of complex phenomena. Setting Set in a midsized Midwestern city, our study was community-based. Participants, Interventions, and Main Outcome Measures We interviewed 23 pediatricians to understand their views about providing contraception (including LARCs) to adolescents. For analysis, we developed a coding schema and applied it using a priori and open coding. Results Several inter-related themes regarding challenges to provision of LARC emerged: limited motivation for on-site LARC provision or referral streams, low pediatric patient interest in LARC, lack of pediatrician training about LARC provision, and inadequate structural elements for on-site placement of LARCs in pediatric offices. Each challenge could be remedied, because pediatricians were motivated to provide adolescent patients with high-quality care. Improvements in these inter-related conditions could facilitate pediatrician provision of LARC. Conclusion Pediatricians and their patients want to prevent pregnancy, but current practice norms limit LARC provision by pediatricians. To increase LARC access in pediatrician offices, we suggest training in LARC provision and patient education for medical students, residents, and pediatricians; communicating about LARC methods with adolescents to increase patient demand; and systemic changes to improve referral processes and/or allow on-site LARC placements.
Retrieval practice improves item memory but not source memory in the context of stress

Smith, Floerke, and Thomas (2016) demonstrated that learning by repeated testing, or retrieval practice, reduced stress-related memory impairment when compared to learning by repeatedly studying material. In the present experiment, we tested whether, relative to study practice, retrieval practice would improve post-stress memory by increasing access to both item and source information. Participants learned two wordlists, which were temporally segregated to facilitate distinction between the two lists. Participants returned one week later for stress induction and two memory tests. Each test featured a recognition test that was given to assess item memory accessibility, and a list-discrimination task that was given to assess source memory. Relative to study practice, successful retrieval practice during learning reduced false alarms but did not improve source memory on the post-stress test. Results are discussed as they relate to current theories surrounding stress effects and retrieval practice effects.
Transitioning to the National Institutes of Health single institutional review board model: Piloting the use of the Streamlined, Multi-site, Accelerated Resources for Trials IRB Reliance.

Background/AimsObtaining ethical approval from multiple institutional review boards is a long-standing challenge to multi-site clinical trials and often leads to significant delays in study activat...
Total synthesis of an optically active 8-carba-physostigmine analog: a potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor

Abstract Syntheses of 8-carba-physostigmine enantiomers 2a and 2b via optically active intermediates 9a and 9b are described. The key synthetic intermediate 9 was prepared via a [2 + 2] cycloaddition of indene 4 and dichloroketene, followed by Beckmann rearrangement, reduction and resolution.
Light scattering spectroscopy: A new method for determination of atomic matrix elements

Abstract A new approach to the determination of atomic matrix elements is described. In this method, measurement of spectral features of two-photon light scattering processes allows for extraction of matrix elements in terms of a fiducial quantity. In particular, the spectral location of zeros in the Rayleigh or Raman scattering cross-section permits one to make a mapping of the matrix elements into the frequency domain, where they may be reliably determined. This method is also applicable to excited-state transitions. Illustrations are made for Rayleigh scattering off the ground state in atomic Li and Cs.
Human Gamma Globin Gene Regulation in Knock-In Mouse Models of Anemia.

The generation of transgenic and gene targeted mouse models of human hemoglobinopathies provides valuable opportunities to test mechanisms of human globin gene regulation and experimental therapies. Yet mice do not naturally have a fetal hemoglobin, challenging our ability to adequately model the developmental onset of disease. Transgenic model systems that contain the entire human β-globin locus present obstacles to the study of human globin gene switching, including a fetal to adult globin gene switch that occurs too early in development. The generation of genetically engineered mice with a delayed human γ to β hemoglobin switch has been a major topic of interest for our laboratory. Delayed γ globin gene expression improves the clinical progression in patients as well as animal models with hemoglobinopathies. However, molecular mechanisms involved in globin gene switching are not well understood. In this study the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of human γ to β hemoglobin switching are analyzed in novel human knock-in (KI) mouse models that complete the switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin after birth. These KI mice were generated by replacement of the adult mouse β-globin genes by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells with a delayed switching human γ to β globin gene construct. Quantitative real-time PCR and HPLC were used to measure mouse and human embryonic, fetal, and adult globin genes through development and show that we have given the mouse a true fetal hemoglobin. Heterozygous mice express human β-like globin genes at a high level comparable to the adult mouse β globin genes. Mutations responsible for hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) in the γ globin promoter recapitulate the human phenotype in KI mice, with over 50 fold γ globin gene upregulation in adults. These HPFH KI mice also display higher γ globin levels at birth and markedly delayed γ globin gene downregulation in the weeks following birth. These studies in KI mice demonstrate that human β-like globin genes interacting with the mouse LCR are regulated in a manner similar to what is seen in humans and may be used to study the mechanisms of globin gene switching. Greater understanding of γ-globin gene regulation will be required for achieving the therapeutic goal of reactivating silenced γ-globin genes to ameliorate severe human hemoglobinopathies.
Western Dietary Pattern Derived by Multiple Statistical Methods Is Prospectively Associated with Subclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis in Midlife Women.

Background The menopause has adverse effects on cardiometabolic profiles that are linked to an increased risk of atherosclerosis in women. A healthy diet during the menopausal transition may counteract the menopause-induced atherosclerotic risk. Objective This prospective cohort study aimed to examine the associations between empirically derived dietary patterns and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in midlife women. Methods A total of 1246 midlife women (average age at baseline: 46.3 y) from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation who completed dietary assessments and had a carotid ultrasound scan were included. Dietary data were collected at 3 time points, during 1996-1997, 2001-2003, and 2005-2007. Measures of carotid atherosclerosis included common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT), adventitial diameter (AD), and carotid plaque index collected during 2009-2013. Three statistical methods, including principal component analysis (PCA), reduced rank regression (RRR), and partial least squares regression (PLS), were used to identify dietary patterns. Results A Western dietary pattern was identified from each method and a Prudent dietary pattern from PCA. High adherence to the Western pattern was associated with higher CCA-IMT. Women in the fourth quartile of the Western pattern identified by PCA, RRR, and PLS had 0.042 mm (95% CI: 0.011, 0.073), 0.033 mm (95% CI: 0.0086, 0.057), and 0.049 mm (95% CI: 0.025, 0.074), respectively, larger CCA-IMT than women in the first quartile; these differences correspond to 30%, 24%, and 35% of the sample SD, respectively. The Prudent pattern was not significantly associated with CCA-IMT. No significant associations were found between the identified dietary patterns and AD or carotid plaque. Conclusions The positive association between the Western diet and CCA-IMT was robust under different dietary pattern derivation methods. The adoption of a diet low in red meat, processed meat, deep-fried products, and sugar-sweetened beverages among midlife women is associated with a lower future risk of atherosclerosis.
Opening the black box: user-log analyses of children’s e-Book reading and associations with word knowledge

Third to fifth graders read an interactive choose-your-own adventure e-Book. User logs recorded their reading behaviors and were used to investigate students’ in-the-moment reading behaviors. Reader’s standards of coherence, motivation, and reading strategies were hypothesized to relate to children’s reading behaviors, such as time reading pages, answering embedded questions correctly, and making thoughtful decisions, and in turn to word knowledge gains. Structural equation models revealed that the more time students spent reading embedded questions, the more likely they were to answer the questions correctly, which in turn strongly predicted gains in word knowledge. The more time students spent reading text pages, the more likely they were to make good decisions. Additionally, student participation in a weekly book club, randomly assigned within classrooms, predicted stronger gains in word knowledge. Findings highlight the potential of e-Books to improve word knowledge, and that student user-logs offer another way to study reading comprehension in-the-moment.