cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting Elementary Student Outcomes from Student and Teacher Characteristics

Structural equation modeling analyses of data from a longitudinal study of elementary students (N=5094) examined the relationships and pathways among individual characteristics of students and teachers at the beginning of 3 rd grade to student achievement at the end of 3 rd and 5 th grade. The proposed model for predicting student outcomes provided a good fit to the data. The results demonstrated that the level of 3 rd grade students’ learning motivation and social skills and teachers’ positive attitude at the beginning of school year were significant predictors of student academic achievement at the end of 3 rd grade. Students’ perceived competence and their academic achievement during 3 rd grade were strong predictors of their academic achievement in the 5 th grade. These results highlighted the role of teachers’ efficacy beliefs, which facilitate students’ academic achievement by impacting teachers’ attitude directly and by increasing indirectly their instructional planning. The achievement of schoolchildren depends substantially on the teachers they learn from and on the children themselves (Wayne & Youngs, 2003). The field of education agrees increasingly that teacher and student characteristics have a significant impact on student outcomes (Shores & Shannon, 2007). An important element among student and teacher characteristics is the linkage between these characteristics, especially regarding students’ academic achievement. Numerous studies have estimated the effects of student and teacher characteristics on students’ academic achievement using a variety of techniques, and these have provided a valuable picture for the educational field of the associations among these variables (i.e., Cassidy, Buell, Hugh-Poese, & Russel, 1995; Good, McCaslin, Tsang, Wiley, Bozach, & Hester, 2006; O’Neil, Welsh, Parke, Wang, & Strand, 1997). However, there is no comparable literature that explores the relationships and pathways among the individual characteristics of 3 rd grade students and teachers on 3 rd and 5 th grade academic achievement. Studies have shown that some student characteristics are significant predictors of students’ later academic achievement while others are not. Among the significant predictors of academic achievement, researchers agree that students’ self-perception is a stronger predictor than intelligence, prior achievement, or intrinsic values relative to that achievement (Spinath, Spinath, Harlaar, & Plomin, 2006). Guay, Larose, and Boivin (2004) studied three cohorts of students in elementary school grades 3, 4, and 5 in a longitudinal study that explored the effects of perceived self-competence on academic achievement. Using structural equation modeling, they found that perceived competence is a stronger predictor of future academic success than prior academic achievement. The researchers showed that students who hold higher academic perception about their self-competence achieved higher levels of educational attainment 10 years later. According to the researchers, the association between academic self-perception and level of educational
Lutheran and Catholic Reunionists in the Age of Bismarck

Religious division has determined Germany's destiny. In the Middle Ages, it was the struggle between Emperor and Pope which doomed the Holy Roman Empire. During the Reformation, and the Thirty Years' War, it was Protestantism as well as the anti-Imperial diplomacy of the Pope and the French cardinals, which prevented the emergence of a national state and a centralized government. “From the split of the church dates all our misfortune,” complained in 1846 the Lutheran historian Johann Friedrich Bohmer, editor of a major medieval source collection. “It is a pity that the nation in the heart of Europe was drawn away from its political profession by quarrels with the church, that the development of strong political institutions was interrupted, that they eroded under the acids of religious passion and negation, so that the German people finally got into a stage of the disease where they are either seized by violent fever, or rot in apathy and despair. All our inner ferment which soon will erupt in a revolutionary outburst, all our political impotence and lethargy were, in the final analysis, caused by the split of the church, which tore us apart, and which no one can bridge. Only a new St. Boniface who would restore ecclesiastical unity could help us.”
A Visual Screen of Protein Localization during Sporulation Identifies New Components of Prospore Membrane-Associated Complexes in Budding Yeast

During ascospore formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the secretory pathway is reorganized to create new intracellular compartments, termed prospore membranes. Prospore membranes engulf the nuclei produced by the meiotic divisions, giving rise to individual spores. The shape and growth of prospore membranes are constrained by cytoskeletal structures, such as septin proteins, that associate with the membranes. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions to various proteins that associate with septins at the bud neck during vegetative growth as well as to proteins encoded by genes that are transcriptionally induced during sporulation were examined for their cellular localization during prospore membrane growth. We report localizations for over 100 different GFP fusions, including over 30 proteins localized to the prospore membrane compartment. In particular, the screen identified IRC10 as a new component of the leading-edge protein complex (LEP), a ring structure localized to the lip of the prospore membrane. Localization of Irc10 to the leading edge is dependent on SSP1, but not ADY3. Loss of IRC10 caused no obvious phenotype, but an ady3 irc10 mutant was completely defective in sporulation and displayed prospore membrane morphologies similar to those of an ssp1 strain. These results reveal the architecture of the LEP and provide insight into the evolution of this membrane-organizing complex.
BONUS-MALUS SYSTEMS IN A DEREGULATED ENVIRONMENT: FORECASTING MARKET SHARES USING DIFFUSION MODELS

In a deregulated insurance market, insurance carriers have an incentive to be innovative in their pricing decisions by segmenting their portfolios and designing new bonus-malus systems (BMS). This paper examines the evolution of market shares and claim frequencies in a two-company market, when one insurer breaks off the existing stability by introducing a super-discount class in its BMS. Several assumptions concerning policyholders and insurers behavior are tested. Diffusion theory is used to model the spread of the information concerning the new BMS among prospective customers. A wide variety of market outcomes results: one company may take over the market or the two may survive with equal or unequal market shares, each specializing in a specific niche of the market. Before engaging in an aggressive competitive behavior, insurers should consequently be reasonably confident in their assumptions concerning the reactions of their policyholders to the new BMS.
Structure and function of aquaporin water channels

The aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of small membrane-spanning proteins (monomer size ∼30 kDa) that are expressed at plasma membranes in many cells types involved in fluid transport. This review is ...
Rethinking Crop Genetic Resource Conservation

: A worldwide system of crop germplasm conservation has been developed around ex situ preservation This system is based on a dual mandate of conservation and development; and it has largely ignored the farming systems that produce germplasm A revisionist critique of the existing system is presented Problems of the current strategy include incomplete collection loss within these collections, isolation from evolutionary processes, and budgetary constraints. In situ conservation offers an alternative to current methods, especially if conservation rather than development is the priority. The concept of genetic erosion is discussed and evaluated in light of recent evidence of uneven change in areas of crop diversity. Farmers in many parts of the world are conserving traditional varieties even as they modernize and adopt improved varieties. This pattern is illustrated by reference to Asian rice agriculture. A new approach to conservation is needed that builds a collaborative program between farmers, crop scientists, ecologists, biogeographers, and social scientists. A first step is to analyze farming systems that already conserve traditional crop varieties. Resumen: Un sistema mundial de conservacion de germoplasma de especie de cultivo se ha estado desarrolando alrededor de la preservacion ex situ. Este sistema esta basado en el mandato dual de conservation y desarrollo ignorando en su mayoria a los sistemas de cultivos que producen germoplasma. Una critica pendiente a modificar el sistema existente se presenta aqui Los problemas de la estrategia actual incluye colecciones incompletes, perdidas dentro de estas mismas colectas aislamiento de los procesos evolutivos, y limitaciones prepuestarias. La conservacion in situ ofrece un alternativa a los metodos actuales, especialmente si la conservacion time prioridad sobre el desarrollo. El concepto de erosion genetica es discutido y evaluado en vista de las evidencias recientes de cambios desiguales en areas con diversidad de cultivos. Los agricultores en varias partes del mundo estan conservando ciertas variedades tradicionales, a pesar de la modernizacion y la adopcion de variedades mejoradas Este patron es ilustrado en los cultivos de arroz en Asia Un nuevo enfoque conservacionista es necesario para desarrollar un programa cooperativo entre agricultores, expertos en cultivos, ecologos, biogeografos y cientificos sociales Un primer paso seria el analisis de los sistenas de cultivo existentes que incluyen la conservation de cultivo tradicionales.
Children's Expressive Culture in Light of September 11, 2001

Play and games relating to September 11 reflect children's strategies for making sense with nonsense. This essay calls for the reexamination of play and recess as nontrivial parts of schooling and as sources for anthropological research.
Software for enhanced monitoring in integrated substations

Substation data integration is facilitated by existence and appropriate connection of intelligent electronic devices (IED). Collecting data from IEDs and its processing facilitates performing data consistency checks, filtering out erroneous measurements, monitoring of switching sequences and substation topology transitions etc. Processed data may be used locally and/or communicated to remote sites (neighboring substations and/or control centers). The paper presents software that implements substation data integration and performs processing and monitoring functions. Generated output is made available for exchange with other applications. The emphasis of data processing is on utilization of redundancy in local measurements to enhance reliability of the monitoring functions in integrated substations.
The Demand for Labor

I. Marginal productivity ignores important forms of investment, 627; and is inaccurate even for "productive" investment, 628.— The "law" of diminishing productivity vague and subject to serious exceptions, 630.— Marshall's doctrine of marginal net product does not explain general wages, 631; but throws light on the process of equilibrium-seeking, 632.— The application of labor to land, 633.— II. "Demand for labor" a misleading expression, 634.— Factors which determine it, 635.— The "method of increments" not involved, 638.— In what sense wages are residual, 639.— III. Practical implications: for changes in working hours, 640; consumer borrowing, 641; raising of wages above equilibrium rate, 642; elasticity of demand for labor, 643.
Conducting longitudinal studies

Although time and resource intensive, longitudinal studies offer the ability to examine the direction and magnitude of causal relationships that cannot be accomplished through cross-sectional design.
Postoperative pneumoperitoneum: is it normal or pathologic?

Abstract Background Pneumoperitoneum on computed tomography (CT) after abdominal surgery is common, but its incidence, duration, and clinical significance is widely debated. Materials and methods A retrospective, cohort study of patients who underwent abdominal CT within 30 days of abdominal surgery. Results Among 344 patients, pneumoperitoneum was found in 39% (135/344) of patients on postoperative days 0–6 in 53%, 7–13 in 41%, 14–20 in 23%, 21–27 in 13%, and 28–30 in 0%. Pneumoperitoneum was associated with the presence of a drain ( P = 0.014) but not with age, gender, body mass index, smoking history, lung disease, or open versus laparoscopic surgery ( P > 0.05 for all variables). Eight patients required intervention (6%), most commonly for anastomotic leak (4 patients, 50%). Conclusions Postoperative pneumoperitoneum on abdominal CT can be seen in up to 23% of patients 3-weeks postoperatively; however, only 6% of the patients required intervention emphasizing the typically benign consequences of postoperative free air.
The Impact of Digital Social Capital on Digital Activism Among Howard University Students: A Triangulative Analysis

This study of digital activism among Howard University students examines the relationship between social media-based digital activism (using digital technology for political and social change) and social capital (creating networks with shared norms, values, and understanding that facilitate cooperation within a group). At the core of this exploration is the following question: How does social capital effect digital activism among Howard University Students? The study employs a two-tiered research design that includes (1) a triangulative analysis of Howard University Students in terms of how social capital has influenced their digital activism in digital spaces in response to the shooting of Michael Brown in 2014 to demonstrate how social media (forms of digital communication such as social networking Web sites and microblogging through which users create online communities) served in facilitating coordinated action for political and social efficacy and disseminated information which might not be have been easily accessible through mainstream media and governmental sources. The data collection techniques included in-class surveying and focus group interviewing of a random sampling of Howard University students. The cases examined offer a relevant springboard to examine how social capital plays a role in the manner in which Howard University students use digital technology, specifically social media, to engage in dialogue to collaborate and mobilize in order to address social and political injustice (an inability to influence the governance process and public policy).
Reply to “Comment on ‘Surface energy of Parylene C’ ”

Abstract The semi-empirical Li–Neumann formula estimates the surface energy of Parylene C about two-thirds of the value provided by the empirical Owens–Wendt formula. Both formulas are extensively used in the literature.
Study of the Determinants of Vitamin D Status in Pediatric Patients With Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Objective: Vitamin D is essential to the development and maintenance of the skeleton, especially for children with bone disorders such as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). We evaluated serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels to assess the relationship between determinants of vitamin D status in pediatric patients with OI.Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated sex, age, weight, height, body mass index, OI type, sunscreen use, season of assessment, sun exposure, vitamin D and calcium supplementation, bisphosphonate treatment, bone mineral density (BMD), milk and soda consumption, mobility, and time of sedentary activity. Levels of serum 25-OHD, calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were analyzed. Serum levels of 25-OHD were classified according to sufficient (>30 ng/ml or 75 nmol/L), insufficient (20–30 ng/ml or 50–75 nmol/L), moderately deficient (20–10 ng/ml or 50–25 nmol/L), and severely deficient (<10 ng/ml or 25 nmol/L).Results: Fifty-two patients were incl...
Adventures in groundwater monitoring: Why has it been so difficult to obtain groundwater data near shale gas wells?

Shale gas development in the United States has revolutionized energy production and supply, making the nation energy independent for the first time in decades. However, many people remain concerned that the large-scale hydraulic fracturing necessary to recover hydrocarbons from shale may degrade the environment, including groundwater. Improving the understanding of how groundwater may be impacted by shale gas development requires field monitoring at multiple sites on different shale plays under a variety of climates and hydrologic conditions. Such monitoring has been difficult to achieve because of a lack of access to commercial sites and an absence of funding to drill dedicated research wells.
Determination of the Fracture Toughness Parameters for an MDF Cement Composite

The experimental results of fracture toughness testing of a Macro Defect (MDF) Free cement are presented. The material, a hydraulic cement with hydrolyzed polyvinyl polymers, behaves much like a hardened ceramic with measured maximum compressive and tensile strengths of 380 MN/m2 and 69 MN/m2 respectively. Fracture toughness tests were performed on compact tension (CT) and single edge notched beam (SENB) specimens cut from test panels which were supplied in 3mm, 5mm and 10mm thicknesses. The results were evaluated with respect to the fracture toughness parameter K1c using a modification of standard test methods as determined by observed natural behavior. The MDF material exhibited an essentially linear elastic behavior with a fracture toughness slightly higher than typical values recorded for hardened cement paste.
Religion and the Sense of Control among U.S. Adults

Despite at least a century of theoretical debate, the relationship between religion and the sense of control has rarely been investigated empirically. This study develops a series of theoretical arguments linking multiple dimensions of religious involvement with the sense of control. Relevant hypotheses are then tested using data from the 1996 NORC General Social Survey. On the one hand, several aspects of religious involvement (attendance at services, belief in an afterlife, conservative Protestant affiliation) are positively associated with the sense of control. In addition, afterlife belief and frequency of prayer moderate the links between health problems and the sense of control. However, consistent with the claims of prominent critics, certain religious beliefs (e.g., human sin, biblical literalism) are inversely related to the sense of control.
HISTORICAL DIVERSIFICATION OF BIRDS IN NORTHWESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: A MOLECULAR PERSPECTIVE ON THE ROLE OF VICARIANT EVENTS.

Studies of South American biodiversity have identified several areas of endemism that may have enhanced historical diversification of South American organisms. Hypotheses concerning the derivation of birds in the Choco area of endemism in northwestern South America were evaluated using protein electrophoretic data from 14 taxonomically diverse species groups of birds. Nine of these groups demonstrated that the Choco area of endemism has a closer historical relationship to Central America than to Amazonia, a result that is consistent with phytogeographic evidence. Within species groups, genetic distances between cis-Andean (east of the Andes) and trans-Andean (west of the Andes) taxa are, on average, roughly twice that between Choco and Central American taxa. The genetic data are consistent with the hypotheses that the divergence of most cis-Andean and trans-Andean taxa was the result of either the Andean uplift fragmenting a once continuous Amazonian-Pacific population (Andean Uplift Hypothesis), the isolation of the two faunas in forest refugia on opposite sides of the Andes during arid climates (Forest Refugia Hypothesis), or dispersal of Amazonian forms directly across the Andes into the trans-Andean region (Across-Andes Dispersal Hypothesis). Disentangling these hypotheses is difficult due to the complexity of the Andean uplift and to the scant geologic and paleoclimatic information that elucidates diversification events in northwestern South America. Regarding the divergence of cis- and trans-Andean taxa, the genetic, geologic, and paleoclimatic data allow weak rejection of the Andean Uplift Hypothesis and weak support for the Forest Refugia and Andean Dispersal Hypotheses. The subsequent diversification of Choco and Central American taxa was the result of Pleistocene forest refugia, marine transgressions, or parapatric speciation.
Probing Laser Induced Space Charge Fields with Rare Earth Dopants

Spectral shifts of the emission lines of Erbium ions in Lithium Niobate are used to determine the build-up of intrinsic electric fields under intense light irradiation. The observed spectral shifts can be translated into internal electric fields through a calibration using applied external fields. The studies show that a substantial field can be created locally (up to 150kV/mm) with observed occasional electric breakthroughs that have a corresponding field strength of up to 35kV/mm. In addition, a modification of some Erbium incorporation sites is observed suggesting its relationship with a defect that can by photo-ionized, such as Fe2+/Fe3+.
Determinants of the Choice of a Science Program by Ninth-Grade Males

When public school students enter the tenth grade in Hawaii, they are faced with their first important broad educational decision, a choice of an educational program. Those planning speciali zation in a field of science generally enroll in the college preparatory scientific program. This study is concerned with identifying distinctive determi nants of the choice of a college preparatory sci ence program by ninth-grade males within a few months of entering high school.2 The present paper is one of a series of studies on the determinants of educational-vocational choice in Hawaii at various educational levels (1). In a correlate investigation of the choice of a sci ence program by sixth-grade males, it was estab lished that boys who planned on a college prepara tory science program differed significantly from their peers in that they: 1) were strongly inter ested in science; 2) had little interest in art or music; and 3) attributed the greatest value to ob taining satisfaction from their field of study. National-ethnic ancestry twas also found to be as sociated with science program choice (10). The present study was undertaken to discover what interests, values, and influences ninth-grade boys would report as determinants of their choice of a science program. A secondary purpose was to determine whether certain personal and socio economic attributes were related to the reported determinants of program choice.
Microporous Ceramic Tubule Based and Dendrimer-Facilitated Immobilized Ionic Liquid Membrane for CO2 Separation

A solvent evaporation method has been used to prepare a supported ionic liquid (IL) membrane in a microporous ceramic tubule-based module; its separation performance for CO2–N2 and CO2–He mixtures has been reported here over a pressure range of 50−250 psig (344.7−1724 kPag) and temperatures up to 100 °C. Solutions of IL-ethanol having different IL contents were used to prepare 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([bmim][DCA]) membranes having different thicknesses. Membranes prepared from 25 wt % IL in ethanol solution showed the best gas permeation and separation performance. Ionic liquid membranes prepared from 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([emim][Tf2N]) under the same conditions displayed a slightly higher gas permeance, but its separation capability was somewhat lower. Tests at higher temperatures using the [bmim][DCA] membrane generated obviously higher gas permeances, but the ideal separation factors of CO2 over N2 and He dropped sharply. These tests were carrie...
Reactivation with Pancreatin of Coproantibody-Neutralized Virus in Ground Beef.

Viruses transmissible through food are sometimes shed in association with coproantibody, which may preclude their detection by conventional means. We had shown previously that a large volume of food extract (up to 1.4 ml/cm2 of monolayer) can be tested in cell culture, and that the inoculum can be transferred from one type of cell culture to another to afford a broader spectrum of virus sensitivity. Here we report that pancreatin is capable of reactivating the majority of coproantibody-neutralized poliovirus and that pancreatin-treated extract from ground beef samples can be tested in large volumes and transferred among cell cultures as described above.
Acquiring a Qualitative Understanding of System Behavior Through AI Inductive Inference

Abstract Algorithmic solutions exist for many power system control problems and at first glance it would seem that Artificial Intelligence methodology might not have a role in that problem domain. We argue instead that a plethora of lengthy numerical solutions does not result in useful qualitative understanding of system behavior and indicate how inductive inference can accomplish that. In that process, combined use of symbolic and numerical computing Is facilitated through dynamic adaptive quantization of numerical signal levels.
Facilitation of fear learning by prior and subsequent fear conditioning.

Abstract Classical fear conditioning is perhaps the premier model system used to study the neurobiological basis of memory formation. Prior work has resulted in a good understanding of both the molecular mechanisms and neural circuits supporting this form of learning. However, much of what is known about these mechanisms comes from studies in which fear memory is acquired using a single, isolated training session. Given that we cannot divorce the acquisition of new information from the backdrop on which it occurs, studies are needed to determine how the acquisition of fear memory is affected by other learning events. Here, we used rats to describe the time course by which auditory fear conditioning can facilitate learning to a different fear learning event, which alone is insufficient to support long-term fear memory. First, we replicated previous findings showing that although a single trial of light and shock produces little evidence of memory, two identical trials spaced 60 min or 24 h apart support long-term memory. Next, we report that a typical auditory fear conditioning session facilitated memory formation when rats were subsequently exposed to a single trial of light and shock 60 min or 24 h, but not 4 min, later. Finally, we show that learning can be enhanced retroactively if auditory fear conditioning occurs 60 min, but not 24 h, after a single light-shock pairing. These data demonstrate that a weak fear conditioning trial can be enhanced by prior and subsequent fear conditioning depending on the timing between training events.
Process modeling for economic optimization of a solar driven sweeping gas membrane distillation desalination system

Abstract Water scarcity is especially impactful in remote and impoverished communities without access to centralized water treatment plants. In areas with access to a saline water source, point-of-use desalination by solar-driven membrane distillation (MD) is a possible method for mitigating water scarcity. To evaluate the applicability of MD, a comprehensive process model was developed and used to design an economically optimal system. Thermal energy for distillation was provided by solar thermal collectors, and electricity was provided using photovoltaic collectors. Distillation was performed using sweeping-gas membrane distillation. The cost of water in the optimized system was approximately $85/m3. Membrane modules and solar thermal collectors made up the largest portion of the cost. Neither thermal nor electrical energy storage was economical within current technologies. The model developed provides a template to optimize MD membrane characteristics specialized for point-of-use applications.
Low estradiol responses in oocyte donors undergoing gonadotropin stimulation do not influence clinical outcomes

To examine the effect of low and very low estradiol responses in oocyte donors receiving gonadotropins on clinical outcomes of donor in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles and to identify possible mechanisms responsible for low estradiol response. This is a retrospective cohort study of oocyte donors undergoing antagonist IVF cycles with progression to oocyte retrieval between January 2010 and December 2016 at a single urban academic fertility center. Oocyte yield, fertilization rate, blastocyst rate, percentage of normal embryos on preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), pregnancy outcomes, and follicular fluid steroid profiles were compared between donors with normal estradiol response and those with low estradiol response. Three hundred sixty-six antagonist oocyte donor IVF cycles were identified: 42 cycles had a normal estradiol response (NE2), defined as peak serum estradiol (E2) of over 200 pg/mL per retrieved oocyte; 140 cycles had an intermediate estradiol response (iE2), defined as peak serum E2 between 100 and 200 pg/mL per retrieved oocyte; 110 cycles had a low estradiol response (LE2), defined as peak serum E2 between 50 and 100 pg/mL per retrieved oocyte; and 74 cycles had a very low estradiol response (vLE2), defined as peak serum E2 less than 50 pg/mL per retrieved oocyte. LE2 cycles resulted in a greater number of mature oocytes (22.4 vs. 13.6, p < 0.017), and fertilizations versus NE2 donors (18.5 vs. 10.7, p < 0.017), although the number of transferred or cryopreserved blastocysts were similar between groups (8.6, 6.9 vs. 4.8, p = 0.095, p = 1). The percentage of chromosomally normal embryos after PGS was similar between LE2, vLE2, and NE2 cycles (66.4, 71.8 vs. 63.1%, p = 0.99, p = 1). Pregnancy outcomes were similar between LE2, vLE2, and NE2 cycles. Serum AMH obtained on the day of peak E2 was similar to baseline serum AMH and did not differ between LE2 versus NE2 cycles. Follicular fluid E2 levels paralleled serum E2 levels and were lower in LE2 cycles versus NE2 cycles. The prevalence of very low E2 responses in donors appears to be high (20.2%). In contrast to autologous IVF cycles, LE2 does not portend poor outcomes in oocyte donors.
Evaluation of two seminal collection regimens for mature Holstein bulls.

Twenty mature Holstein bulls (3 to 10 yr old) were used to test the effect of two semen collection regimens on spermatozoal output, post-thaw percentage spermatozoal motility, and time needed to make the collections/week. For both regimens, six ejaculates/wk were collected using either three ejaculates/d, 2 d/wk, or two ejaculates/d, 3 d/wk. A three-period switchback experimental design was used. Each collection period for which measurements were taken was 3 wk and was preceded by a 2 wk period of acclimation. The total number of spermatozoa harvested per week was not significantly different (P greater than .05): 33.2 X 10(9) when the bulls were collected two ejaculates 3 d/wk, compared with 33.9 X 10(9) three ejaculates 2 d/wk. Post-thaw progressive spermatozoal motility was 50.3 and 52.1% (P greater than .05), respectively. The average time per week to collect each bull was 73.6 and 83.7 min (P less than .05), respectively.
Plasma for Air and Water Sterilization

This chapter describes the research efforts of Drexel Plasma Institute (DPI) in the area of plasma-based air and water sterilization. Motivation of this research is presented as well as the methods for selection of parameters for the experimental systems. Experimentally obtained results for air sterilization demonstrate that the direct influence of plasma charged particles on airborne bacteria in combination with active chemical substances generated by plasma is the probable reason for high sterilization efficiency of the Dielectric Barrier Grating Discharge (DBGD). Energy input on the level of 13 kJ/m3 is enough to reach a 5-log reduction of viable E. coli bacteria. Experimentally reached D-value (the dosage required for a 90% reduction of the number of viable microorganisms) for E. coli bacteria deactivation in water using spark discharge is very low, about 125 kJ/m3, and UV-radiation is the most plausible sterilization factor in this case. A new semi-numerical model is proposed for initial phase of electrical breakdown in water.
Stimulation of the synthesis of fructose 1,6-diphosphate aldolase by transferrin.

The glycolytic enzyme aldolase (E.C.4.1.2.13) catalyzes the reversible cleavage of fructose 1,6-diphosphate to yield dihydorxyacetone phosphate and D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. During embryonic development in skeletal muscle, this tetrameric enzyme undergoes a transition from a macromolecule composed primarily of C subunits to a homotetramer composed of A subunits (332–334). The work of Lebherz has shown that the steady-state concentration of aldolase and other glycolytic enzymes in “fast” and “slow-twitch” skeletal muscle fibers is regulated almost solely at the level of protein synthesis (334,335). During post-embryonic development, the synthetic rate of aldolase becomes four-fold faster in “fast-twitch” chicken breast muscle as compared to “slow-twitch” leg muscle (334–336). Thus, in terms of the glycolytic enzymes, fiber-type differentiation appears to progress via a transformation from a slow-type phenotype to a fast-type (335).
Local Sequestration of Lipid from Place to Place Within an Artery

A new method for staining lipid in paraffin sections was applied to a selection of 89 subjects aged 31–92 years. From place to place within each specimen of coronary artery, extracellular lipid strongly tended to select intimal microregions with low SMC densities. Direct visualization of lipid by this new method therefore confirms a key feature of the sequestration hypothesis.
VELOCITY- AND TIME-DEPENDENT STRESS TRANSIENTS IN SIMULATED FAULT GOUGE

SYNOPSIS During the shearing of fault gouge, strength changes are often observed when the rate of strain is varied. A strain rate increase is characterized by a transient stress peak before reaching a final equilibrium value. Conversely, a stress drop and a gradual rise to the equilibrium strength accompany changes to slower rates. To study the phenomena, frictional sliding experiments were performed at normal stresses to 100 MPa on granite samples sawcut at 30° and filled with a layer of Ottawa sand. Pore water volume and shear stress were measured as the displacement rate along the inclined gouge layer was alternated between 2.2 × 10–3 and 2.2 × 10–5 mm/sec. Pore volume increased at the fast rate and decreased at the slower rate, verifying that gouge dilation is a function of strain rate. Pore volume changed until the critical void ratio of the granular material was reached for a particular rate of strain. Because of this, the degree of consolidation of the grains must also depend on rate. Soil mechanics studies have shown that densely packed sand typically exhibits a peak in shear stress before reaching a steady-state value, whereas the strength of loosely packed sand slowly rises to the final value, as we have also observed in these experiments. The dense sand is initially overconsolidated relative to the equilibrium level, whereas the loose sand is initially underconsolidated relative to this level. Therefore, the transient stress behavior must be due to the overconsolidated state of the gouge at the new rate when the velocity is increased and to the underconsolidated state when the velocity is lowered. Because time-dependent processes will also cause the gouge to compact, natural fault gouges may exhibit similar transient behavior as they become overconsolidated and stronger with time.
Taxation, Production, and Redistribution

In one sense the public choice revolution of the 20th century ocurred because economic and political analysis now routinely takes into account the incentives of political decision-makers, and recognizes that political decision-making can result in inefficiencies. In another sense, this public choice revolution is seriously incomplete, because while it has succeeded in producing a theory of government failure, it has not taken the next step to develop a framework for optimal public policy in light of the characteristics of collective decision-making. This chapter takes a step in that direction by sketching out optimal policies for taxation, production and redistribution, taking into account that these public policies are products of the political system. Public choice might be thought of as applying the tools of economics to analyze political decision-making. This chapter uses the results of public choice to redevelop the theory of public finance.
The Aboriginal Alibi: Governing Dispossession in Colonial Bombay

This article analyzes representations of the Koli as aboriginal in colonial Bombay, and explores the ends to which various actors have narrated Koli aboriginality. It examines the relationship between the historical deployment of the concept of aboriginality and its mediating role in the power of capital and state-making practices in one colonial urban context. The article shows how the Koli, as Bombay's “aboriginals,” gained concessions that served as an alibi for the market-based dispossession of the remainder of the city's population, and also as a pretext for claim-making by peoples with competing collective identities who used the tale of Koli identity and history as a narrative resource to argue for their own nativity. The Koli case helps us understand the co-emergence of the powers of caste and capital in Bombay, and compels us to revisit important, broader questions about relationships between aboriginal or indigenous peoples, capitalism, colonialism, liberalism, and governance.
Inhibition of HDAC3 reverses Alzheimer's disease-related pathologies in vitro and in the 3xTg-AD mouse model.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of age-related dementia. Neuropathological hallmarks of AD include brain deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and accumulation of both hyperphosphorylated and acetylated tau. RGFP-966, a brain-penetrant and selective HDAC3 inhibitor, or HDAC3 silencing, increases BDNF expression, increases histone H3 and H4 acetylation, decreases tau phosphorylation and tau acetylation at disease-associated sites, reduces β-secretase cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), and decreases Aβ1–42 accumulation in HEK-293 cells overexpressing APP with the double Swedish mutation (HEK/APPsw). In the triple transgenic AD mouse model (3xTg-AD), repeated administration of 3 and 10 mg/kg of RGFP-966 reverses pathological tau phosphorylation at Thr181, Ser202, and Ser396, increases levels of the Aβ degrading enzyme Neprilysin in plasma, decreases Aβ1–42 protein levels in the brain and periphery, and improves spatial learning and memory. Finally, we show that RGFP-966 decreases Aβ1–42 accumulation and both tau acetylation and phosphorylation at disease residues in neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells obtained from APOEe4-carrying AD patients. These data indicate that HDAC3 plays an important regulatory role in the expression and regulation of proteins associated with AD pathophysiology, supporting the notion that HDAC3 may be a disease-modifying therapeutic target.
Metabolomics Profile and Targeted Lipidomics in Multiple Tissues Associated with Feed Efficiency in Beef Steers

A study of multiple tissues was conducted to identify potential metabolic differences in cattle differing in feed efficiency. Individual feed intake and body weight was measured on 144 steers during 105 days on a high-concentrate ration. Steers were selected according to differences in average daily gain (ADG) with those with the greatest ADG (n = 8; 1.96 ± 0.02 kg/day) and least ADG (n = 8; 1.57 ± 0.02 kg/day), whose dry matter intake was within 0.32 SD of the mean intake (10.10 ± 0.05 kg/day). Duodenum, liver, adipose, and longissimus-dorsi were collected at slaughter, and metabolomics profiles were performed by ultra performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time of-flight mass spectrometry. Principal components analyses, t-tests, and fold changes in tissues profile were used to identify differential metabolites between ADG groups. These were primarily involved in α-linolenic metabolism, which was downregulated in the greatest ADG as compared to least-ADG group in duodenum, adipose, and longissimus-...
Framing overseas Chinese students: A comparative analysis of newspaper coverage in mainland China, U.S., and Hong Kong:

Within the theoretical framework of framing, this study comparatively content analyzed the portrayals of overseas Chinese students in five newspapers of mainland China, U.S., and Hong Kong. The pri...
Effect of Functional Chemistry on the Rejection of Low-Molecular Weight Neutral Organics through Reverse Osmosis Membranes for Potable Reuse

Potable reuse facilities must be designed and operated to minimize the presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and other trace organics in the product water. Reverse osmosis (RO) is incorporated into the process train of many potable reuse facilities and has been demonstrated to achieve excellent removal of many, but not all, organic compounds. Organics that may be poorly removed by RO include low-molecular weight (MW) neutral compounds. This laboratory study examined the rejection of 73 low-MW neutral organics through a commercial RO membrane that is commonly used in potable reuse applications. The organics were selected using a reductionist approach so that the effect of individual functional groups on rejection could be ascertained. The research demonstrated that halogens, carbonyl functional groups, C═C double bonds, and aromaticity decrease rejection, that methyl and hydroxyl functional groups increase rejection, and that the position of functional groups in structural isomers has a significant effect on rejection. The results help explain the discrepancies and inconsistencies in RO rejection of neutral organics that are observed when considered from the conventional perspective of molecular size and hydrophobicity.
Religiosity and Multicultural Experiences Predict Cultural Values in College Students

Cultural values are defined as idealized goals that guide how people in a certain culture think, behave, and evaluate others. They are often discussed in the literature as a precursor to some outcome, but less frequently, the factors that predict cultural values are explored. This research explored different variables that predicted horizontal-vertical and individualist-collectivist cultural values in college students. Potential predictors included socioeconomic, ethnic, and religious influences, as well as multicultural experiences, familial immigration, and social support. Participants were 1094 undergraduates at a university in the United States (mean = 18.91 years of age; 78% female, 58% European American). SEM analyses were used to analyze the models; the results indicated that multicultural experiences and religiosity were important predictors of cultural values: multicultural experiences were positively related, and religiosity negatively related, to cultural values that emphasized the importance of socialization. Thus, valuing socialization may be enhanced by associating with people outside of one’s cultural norm, but devalued when students are high in religiosity. Some implications of the results are further explored.
Clients Who Stalk Their Counselor

At the outset of a clinical relationship, boundaries are created in order to define the therapeutic relationship, outline the treatment process, and explain the limits of confidentiality. Although ...
Race and Gender Differences in the Association Between Experiences of Everyday Discrimination and Arterial Stiffness Among Patients With Coronary Heart Disease.

Background Self-reported experiences of discrimination have been linked to indices of cardiovascular disease. However, most studies have focused on healthy populations. Thus, we examined the association between experiences of everyday discrimination and arterial stiffness among patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI). Purpose We hypothesized that higher reports of discrimination would be associated with greater arterial stiffness and that associations would be more pronounced among Black women, in particular, relative to other race-gender groups, using an "intersectionality" perspective. Methods Data were from 313 participants (49.2% female, mean age: 50.8 years) who were 6 months post-MI in the Myocardial Infarction and Mental Stress 2 study. Data were collected via self-reported questionnaires, medical chart review, and a clinic visit during which arterial stiffness was measured noninvasively using pulse wave velocity. Results Reports of discrimination were highest in Black men and women and arterial stiffness was greatest in Black and White women. After adjustment for demographics and relevant clinical variables, discrimination was not associated with arterial stiffness in the overall study sample. However, discrimination was associated with increased arterial stiffness among Black women but not White women, White men, or Black men. Conclusions Despite no apparent association between discrimination and arterial stiffness in the overall study sample, further stratification revealed an association among Black women but not other race-gender groups. These data not only support the utility of an intersectionality lens but also suggest the importance of implementing psychosocial interventions and coping strategies focused on discrimination into the care of clinically ill Black women.
PHIMAI SANCTUARY (THAILAND) AND NOSTALGIA IN WORLD HERITAGE

Abstract. This article aimed to examine the physical space management of Phimai town related to Phimai Sanctuary with a goal for improving of physical aspect that mainly focused on the conservation of the town and archaeological sites. The framework of this study was conducted during 1954-2017 by analysing through the concept of discourse analysis. It was found that a main factor at such time was happened from declaration of the government policy on "Boundary Line of Phimai Archaeological Site" in 2016 and Phimai Sanctuary had ever been in the "Tentative List" of world heritage in 2003. At that time, it was affected to the changing and improvement of the area from 2 main groups of representatives that had their duties to look after and manage that area as; a group from central administration as Fine Arts Department and another group from regional or local administrations. The study came from production of physical space i.e. construction of road networks, public spaces or other compositions. The cultural heritage of Phimai Sanctuary was applied to describe or manage the spaces for conservation and promotion of tourism activities. Those demands were managed by only one group or authorized group of representatives that did not answer or indicate problems of Phimai area development. On the other hand, it was emphasized on the space management without any local participation and effected to current residents in that area directly.
Populism, American Nationalism and Representative Democracy

This paper provides an analysis of Trump’s populist rhetoric, drawing on the theories of Ernesto Laclau and Carl Schmitt. It links Trump’s populism to American White Nationalism and to similar nationalist populisms in Europe. It concludes with a brief sketch of possible ways to respond to populism in the context of representative institutions in the United States.