cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis: Diagnosis on Thyroid Aspirate and Review of the Literature

Thyroid gland involvement by Langerhans cell histiocytosis is extremely rare. A 35-year-old woman with a history of a suprasellar mass previously diagnosed as a ganglioglioma and complicated by diabetes insipidus, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and central hypothyroidism presented with acute onset of neck enlargement. On ultrasound examination, almost the entire thyroid appeared replaced by abnormal lobulated hypoechoic tissue with increased vascularity. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the thyroid was performed and revealed singly scattered and loosely cohesive large cells with abundant cytoplasm, including some with irregular nuclear contours and nuclear grooves. No thyroid follicular cells were noted. Based on the cytomorphologic findings and ancillary studies (immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry analysis) a cytological diagnosis of “positive for neoplastic cells” with features suggestive of monocytic/histiocytic origin, possibly Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) was rendered. Following FNA, the patient underwent an incisional thyroid biopsy that confirmed the cytological impression of LCH. In light of the new diagnosis of LCH, the prior suprasellar mass biopsy slides were re-reviewed and rare cells suspicious for LCH were observed. Appropriate treatment for systemic LCH was initiated successfully. This case demonstrates that the presence of enlarged and loosely cohesive cells, especially those with irregular nuclear contours, in thyroid FNA specimens should raise suspicion for LCH. The diagnosis of LCH in FNA specimens is challenging. Additional material should be allocated for ancillary studies to confirm the morphological impression. In our case, not only was the thyroid FNA crucial in diagnosing LCH, but instrumental in initiating a thorough diagnostic work-up for multisystem involvement and thus unmasking the true etiology of the patient’s suprasellar mass and associated endocrinopathies.
Disruption of the Radial/Ulnar Axis:Congenital Longitudinal Deficiencies

Radial, ulnar, and central deficiencies represent a spectrum of abnormalities in the development of the upper limb. Radial longitudinal deficiency is often associated with abnormalities in other organ systems, such as cardiac and renal, and so requires a comprehensive medical evaluation. On the other hand, ulnar longitudinal deficiency tends to be associated only with other musculoskeletal abnormalities. In all of these conditions, there is a high incidence of ipsilateral thumb abnormalities. Given the importance of the thumb in overall hand function, abnormalities of the thumb often guide treatment for these conditions. Surgical treatment of the wrist and forearm in radial longitudinal deficiency is controversial, as will be outlined in this review.
Iranian Standard Code for Information Interchange (ISCII)

Abstract The need for a standard code for computer data representation is well understood. Such standards for Latin speaking countries have been in existence for decades and have facilitated information interchange and the advancement of computer peripheral technology. In this paper we present the proposed Iranian Standard Code for Information Interchange (ISCII) and the proposed Iranian Standard Keyboard Layout. The Iranian standards are specified to accomodate the difficult goals of maintaining the 7-bit ASCII subset for bilingual applications and a well defined collating sequence while allowing for the variety of shapes that letters of the Farsi alphabet assume depending on their position in a written word, a problem that is shared by another script language — Arabic. The proposed ISCII, which is compatible with ISO-IRV, is shown to satisfy the two criteria of sufficiency and efficiency for computer data representation and display purposes. Furthermore, it is independent of the strengths or limitations of any particular computer output display technology.
Differences in bull spermiograms using eosin-nigrosin stain, feulgen stain, and phase contrast microscopy methods.

Abstract The Society for Theriogenology recently adopted a minimum standard of 70% normal spermatozoa for the bull breeding soundness examination (BSE). We conducted this study to determine if spermiograms derived by brightfield microscopy of eosin-nigrosin stained semen smears (Society method) overestimated the proportion of normal spermatozoa. Comparison of the above method was made with that of phase contrast microscopy (Phase method). We then evaluated our ability to discern head abnormalities by comparing brightfield microscopy of Feulgen-stained sperm DNA (Feulgen method) with those of the Society and Phase methods. Spermiograms were determined for each of the 181 beef bulls using all 3 methods. Only bulls that were being routinely tested prior to the 1993 breeding season were included. The mean percentage of normal spermatozoa surpassed the minimum standard with the Society (72.8%) but not the Phase (52.5%) method, which identified more distal cytoplasmic droplets that adhered to cells without distal midpiece reflexes. The Phase method also identified more total primary and fewer primary head abnormalities. We conclude that the Phase method is not a suitable substitute for the Society method when applying the minimum standard during a routine BSE. The Feulgen method identified more head abnormalities, especially in the pattern of DNA, than the other methods, however, when compared to the minimum standard that improvement was not clinically important. Both the Phase and Feulgen methods are better than the Society method for monitoring changes in abnormal spermiograms over time.
Do donors cooperatively fund foreign aid

Donor’s demand equations for alternative forms of aid are derived for three allocation processes: noncooperative Nash-Cournot, cooperative Lindahl, and bureaucratic. Based on OECD data for official development assistance for 1970–2001, we apply non-nested tests to distinguish between Nash-Cournot and Lindahl reduced-form equations for 15 major donor nations. Noncooperative Nash-Cournot behavior characterizes many donors, with a few abiding by bureaucratic behavior and none by Lindahl behavior. Joint products are present for multilateral and bilateral giving. Despite the common-pool nature of giving to multilateral organizations, countries derive donor-specific benefits and often view others’ donations as complementary to their own gifts.
Vibrational and conformational analysis of 2-methylpentane and 3-methylpentane

Abstract Vibrational spectra have been obtained for 2-methylpentane and 3-methylpentane, and are interpreted with the aid of normal coordinate calculations. It is shown that 2-methylpentane exists in two molecular conformations and 3-methylpentane exists in four conformations. Transferred force constant values resulted in an overall average difference between observed and calculated wavenumbers of 5.0 cm −1 for the six conformers of these two compounds.
Winter feeding, growth and condition of brown trout Salmo trutta in a groundwater-dominated stream

Winter can be a stressful period for stream-dwelling salmonid populations, often resulting in reduced growth and survival. Stream water temperatures have been identified as a primary mechanism driving reductions in fitness during winter. However, groundwater inputs can moderate water temperature and may reduce winter severity. Additionally, seasonal reductions in prey availability may contribute to decreased growth and survival, although few studies have examined food webs supporting salmonids under winter conditions. This study employed diet, stable isotope, and mark-recapture techniques to examine winter (November through March) feeding, growth, and condition of brown trout Salmo trutta in a groundwater-dominated stream (Badger Creek, Minnesota, USA). Growth was greater for fish ≤ 150 mm (mean = 4.1 mg g−1 day−1) than for those 151–276 mm (mean = 1.0 mg g−1 day−1) during the winter season. Overall condition from early winter to late winter did not vary for fish ≤150 mm (mean relative weight (Wr) = 89.5)...
Identification of Adsorption Ensembles on Bimetallic Alloys

A strategy for counting ensembles for various adsorbates on bimetallic alloys is developed. A Monte Carlo method is used to simulate the structure of a model Au/Pd(111) alloy using a gold−palladium...
Biphasic enantioselective partitioning studies using small-molecule chiral selectors

Enantioselective partitioning of racemic N-3,5-(dinitrobenzoyl)leucine or racemic naproxen was studied using a two-component chiral phase transfer approach. A combination of an achiral ion-pairing reagent and a chiral complexing agent (selector) is necessary to effect enantioselective partitioning between an aqueous bicarbonate solution and a nonpolar organic solvent. In these biphasic resolutions, the interplay between the ion-pairing reagent and the selector is essential for maximizing enantioselectivities. Furthermore, the lipophilicity of the ion-pairing reagent, the concentration of the ion-pairing reagent and selector, and the polarity of the organic solvent all exert a considerable influence on the biphasic process. In this manuscript, we conduct optimization studies through analysis of solvent, concentration and ion-pairing effects. Conclusions concerning the mechanistic rationale behind enantioselective partitioning are given.
Infrared planetary detection and cosmic ray Cerenkov radiation

Infrared emission from a planet at a very small angular separation from its star offers the possibility for detection by interferometry from space. However it has been suggested that attention should be paid to interference produced by the infrared radiation that would be generated within the space package by cosmic ray protons. Quantitative examination reveals that both the primary cerenkov flux and the secondary infrared emission from cerenkov heating are negligible.
A compact neutron coincidence spectrometer, its measured response functions and potential applications

Abstract A one-liter “coincidence spectrometer” utilizing plastic scintillator and three 6 Li-glass plates has been calibrated at five neutron energies between 1.2 and 14.1 MeV, and the response functions are given. The features of this spectrometer, including the ability to operate with essentially no cross talk between multiple detectors, suggest several important potential applications, such as the neutron detector in π-d capture experiments to measure the nn scattering length, as well as other experiments involving multiple-neutron sources, spontaneous-fission detection, and dosimetry. The spectrometer is also compared with other current neutron spectrometer systems.
Clustering under approximation stability

A common approach to clustering data is to view data objects as points in a metric space, and then to optimize a natural distance-based objective such as the k-median, k-means, or min-sum score. For applications such as clustering proteins by function or clustering images by subject, the implicit hope in taking this approach is that the optimal solution for the chosen objective will closely match the desired “target” clustering (e.g., a correct clustering of proteins by function or of images by who is in them). However, most distance-based objectives, including those mentioned here, are NP-hard to optimize. So, this assumption by itself is not sufficient, assuming P ≠ NP, to achieve clusterings of low-error via polynomial time algorithms.In this article, we show that we can bypass this barrier if we slightly extend this assumption to ask that for some small constant c, not only the optimal solution, but also all c-approximations to the optimal solution, differ from the target on at most some e fraction of points—we call this (c,e)-approximation-stability. We show that under this condition, it is possible to efficiently obtain low-error clusterings even if the property holds only for values c for which the objective is known to be NP-hard to approximate. Specifically, for any constant c > 1, (c,e)-approximation-stability of k-median or k-means objectives can be used to efficiently produce a clustering of error O(e) with respect to the target clustering, as can stability of the min-sum objective if the target clusters are sufficiently large. Thus, we can perform nearly as well in terms of agreement with the target clustering as if we could approximate these objectives to this NP-hard value.
Emergent Properties & Security: The Complexity ofSecurity as a Science

The notion of emergent properties is becoming common place in the physical and social sciences, with applications in physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, economics, and sociology. Unfortunately, little attention has been given to the discussion of emergence in the realm of computer security, from either the attack or defense perspectives, despite there being examples of such attacks and defenses. We review the concept of emergence, discuss it in the context of computer security, argue that understanding such concepts is essential for securing our current and future systems, give examples of current attacks and defenses that make use of such concepts, and discuss the tools currently available to understand this field. We conclude by arguing that more focus needs to be given to the emergent perspective in information security, especially as we move forward to the Internet of Things and a world full of cyber-physical systems, as we believe many future attacks will make use of such ideas and defenses will require such insights.
Teriparatide as a Chondroregenerative Therapy for Injury-Induced Osteoarthritis

There is no disease-modifying therapy for osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that is projected to afflict more than 67 million individuals in the United States alone by 2030. Because disease pathogenesis is associated with inappropriate articular chondrocyte maturation resembling that seen during normal endochondral ossification, pathways that govern the maturation of articular chondrocytes are candidate therapeutic targets. It is well established that parathyroid hormone (PTH) acting via the type 1 PTH receptor induces matrix synthesis and suppresses maturation of chondrocytes. We report that the PTH receptor is up-regulated in articular chondrocytes after meniscal injury and in osteoarthritis in humans and in a mouse model of injury-induced knee osteoarthritis. To test whether recombinant human PTH(1-34) (teriparatide) would inhibit aberrant chondrocyte maturation and associated articular cartilage degeneration, we administered systemic teriparatide (Forteo), a Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for osteoporosis, either immediately after or 8 weeks after meniscal/ligamentous injury in mice. Knee joints were harvested at 4, 8, or 12 weeks after injury to examine the effects of teriparatide on cartilage degeneration and articular chondrocyte maturation. Microcomputed tomography revealed increased bone volume within joints from teriparatide-treated mice compared to saline-treated control animals. Immediate systemic administration of teriparatide increased proteoglycan content and inhibited articular cartilage degeneration, whereas delayed treatment beginning 8 weeks after injury induced a regenerative effect. The chondroprotective and chondroregenerative effects of teriparatide correlated with decreased expression of type X collagen, RUNX2 (runt-related transcription factor 2), matrix metalloproteinase 13, and the carboxyl-terminal aggrecan cleavage product NITEGE. These preclinical findings provide proof of concept that Forteo may be useful for decelerating cartilage degeneration and inducing matrix regeneration in patients with osteoarthritis.
Forest area characteristics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties of three northeastern states of the United States

Abstract Analysis of county-level forest area statistics for 208 counties in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, shows: (a) All counties have substantial forest acreage regardless of the degree of urbanization; even counties with urban centers are more than 30% forested; and (b) Forest area distribution by stand-size class shows no clear association with the degree of urbanization in the county.
CAN STEROIDS AMELIORATE MECONIUM ASPIRATION SYNDROME IN PIGLETS? † 1527

The effects of dexamethasone on pulmonary function in Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS) were examined in five day old piglets. Animals were paralyzed, sedated, and ventilated via tracheostomy. Lung injury was induced with 4cc per kilogram bodyweigth of 20% sterile human meconium slurry in normal saline given via tracheostomy. Ventilator management was by a specific protocol designed to keep similar end tidal carbon dioxide levels and oxygen saturation(determined via pulse oximetery), which were correlated with blood gas measurements. Pulmonary function were measured using a Bicore CP100 neonatal monitor. Study animals received 0.5 milligram per kilogram of dexamethasone at two hours and eight hours after meconium adminstration; controls received saline at comparable times. Ventilator settings, oxygen requirements and lung compliances were similar between groups at the start of the study. The table below summarizes the findings at two and twelve hours following meconium administration.
Learning About Transitions: Adaptive Controls for the Molecular Dynamics Database

Improvements in sampling on the events leading to transitions can provide significant insights into what drives biomolecular change. We present additions to our Molecular Dynamics Database (MDDB). We start with the transitions seen in BPTI from DEShaw Research (Science, 2010) using their long-running 1 ms trajectory as the basis for a Markov chain with states and transitions analyzed from the Anton production trajectory. Our algorithm works by resampling snapshot conformations known to be right before transition events, creating an ensemble set of transitions preconditioned on sampling in the space near to the transitions. This enables us to explore the reduced degrees of freedom that drive the transitions and to examine the statistical foundations of the Markov chain description for state transitions in BPTI. To achieve these goals we use an adaptive framework for resampling built around a parallel relational database system and with scripts controlling molecular dynamics codes running on XSEDE sponsored national supercomputers. In addition to BPTI, we will show results that start from other trajectories defined from peptides and from other long-running protein simulations. Our scripts for the initial analysis and the resampling thus readily generalize to both long and short trajectory runs and can be used to increase sampling on a broad range of transition events.
Hypercharged anomaly mediation.

We show that, in string models with the minimal supersymmetric standard model residing on D-branes, the bino mass can be generated in a geometrically separated hidden sector. Hypercharge mediation thus naturally teams up with anomaly mediation. The mixed scenario predicts a distinctive yet viable superpartner spectrum, provided that the ratio alpha between the bino and gravitino mass lies in the range 0.05 or = 35 TeV. We summarize some of the experimental signatures of this scenario.
Getting over Europe: the construction of Europe in Serbian culture

Zoran Milutinovi? sets out to inquire the ways in which “Europe” (or the many social imaginations of that name) was constructed “in Serbian culture, in the selected writings of leading writers and intellectuals between two world wars” (p. 9). Partly anchored in imagology, the study follows manners and practices of expression and transmission of social perceptions and images in literary discourses. Through cross- cultural contrasting, interpretations and analyses of primary texts, the book offers a thick and captivating snapshot of entangled intimate, personal and collective discourses of Europe. It examines wider transnational and more “local” Balkan and Serbian imaginations of Europe and of its purported zeitgeist throughout the historical crises and transformations following the “Great War” (1914-1918). The book’s nine analytical chapters delve into the discourses of key (predominantly) Serbian writers and public intellectuals between the two world wars – from Isidora Sekulic? and Jovan Skerlic? to Milos? Crnjanski, Ivo Andric? and others. In engaging with the discursive dynamics of identity construction between their personalities, their national-ethnic collectivities, multi-layered social roles and their intimate “Europes”, Milutinovic? distills themes that according to him underwrite and partly tie together the “European” and “Western” narratives of the different authors. His analysis unfolds as highly accessible to wider audiences beyond the confines of academia. It reads as an intimate dissection of original texts in ways that invariably raise questions about the cognitive and emotive structures shaping collective and individual imaginations of Europe in Serbia. This review will inspect in more depth three particular aspects of Milutinovic?’s narrative: the manner of his interpretation and analysis of primary discourses, the unique and hybrid genre of the text, as well as its sociological focus.
Microhabitat selection by the Pacific treefrog, Hyla regilla

Substrate colour choice can provide a means of predator avoidance through crypsis. We investigated background colour choice in the Pacific treefrog, Hyla regilla, a species that shows a complex colour polymorphism. Individuals from a single population can be fixed in body colour (the nonchanging green or brown individuals) or they can show an ability to change colour between green and brown (colour-changer morph). In the laboratory, we tested background choice behaviour of the nonchanging green and nonchanging brown frogs to determine whether these frogs have a preference for the matching background substrate. Nonchanging green frogs preferentially selected a matching background colour. Such a preference, however, was not observed in nonchanging brown frogs. When tested in the presence of a predator cue, small samples of both nonchanging green and nonchanging brown frogs showed a preference for the matching substrate. We also investigated whether colour-changers have a preference for a background that matches their own body coloration (phenotype matching) at the time of testing. Colour-changers did not select matching substrates. An alternative to phenotype matching is that substrate colour preference (i.e. that shown by nonchanging green frogs) could result from a sensory bias that is genetically linked to body colour. One possible cause of differences in spectral sensitivity and/or hue discrimination is a photopigment polymorphism in the retina. We used electroretinogram techniques to characterize the spectral sensitivity of the retina but found no evidence for differences in spectral sensitivity curves among the three morphs that would suggest a visual pigment polymorphism.
Evidence that the essential, photosensitive histidyl residue in the β2 subunit of tryptophan synthetase is in the pyridoxyl peptide

Abstract The β2 subunit of tryptophan synthetase of Escherichia coli is photoinactivated in the presence of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate and L-serine as a result of the destruction of one histidyl residue per chain (1). Two tryptic peptides are found in much lower amounts in the photoinactivated enzyme than in the control enzyme. These peptides have been identified from their amino acid composition as the 9 or 10 residue peptides which terminate with the lysyl residue which forms a Schiff base with pyridoxal 5′-phosphate. These peptides contain two histidyl residues, one of which appears to be photosensitive. Thus pyridoxal 5′-phosphate sensitizes the photooxidation of a nearby, essential histidyl residue.
Advocacy Special Issue: Conclusion

In this special issue of The Clinical Neuropsychologist we have attempted to: “(1) convey the importance of advocacy, (2) address and dispel unfounded mental obstacles that inhibit involvement in a...
Methanol partial oxidation at low temperature

The partial oxidation of methanol was investigated in a mixed flow reactor at atmospheric pressure. A lean methanol-air mixture was passed over a commercial iron-molybdenum oxide catalyst to obtain steady-state reaction rates at temperatures from 170 to 367 °C. Transient experiments were also performed at 170 °C, where the principal products were formaldehyde, water, dimethyl ether, methyl formate, and methylal. The results suggest that OCH3 on the surface plays an important part in the reaction sequence.
Direct Measurement of Interactions between Tethered Poly(ethylene glycol) Chains and Adsorbed Mucin Layers

Direct force measurements were used to investigate the interactions between grafted poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (Mw 2000) and both adsorbed and soluble bovine submaxillary gland mucin. These measurements show that both soluble and adsorbed mucin adhere weakly to the grafted PEG layers. Soluble mucin mediates a concentration-dependent, bridging attraction between the PEG films. Similarly, PEG adheres to adsorbed mucin layers in both the presence and absence of 0.2 mg/mL mucin solutions. The heteropolymer attraction is pH dependent, with the adhesion being substantially higher at pH 2 than at pH 7.2. The latter suggests that hydrogen-bonding interactions are responsible for binding. The weaker mucin interactions at pH 7.2, however, allow for PEG-coated surfaces to adhere to surface-bound mucin in the presence of soluble mucin. Such characteristics are particularly desirable for coatings for oral drug carriers.
Increased northeast Pacific climatic variability during the warm middle Holocene

[1] We use a pair of decadally resolved planktonic foraminiferal δ18O records from Santa Barbara Basin (SBB) to show that the warmest interval of the current interglacial, the middle Holocene, was characterized by increased decadal- to centennial-scale climatic variability. Modern relationships between the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and upper water conditions in SBB also suggest a preference of the northeast (NE) Pacific climate during the warm mid-Holocene toward the warm phase of the PDO and more intense ENSO warm events (“El Ninos”). In the context of future climate, this study suggests increasing decadal- to centennial-scale climatic variability in a globally warmed world.
Infantile hypophosphatasia: Successful prenatal assessment by testing for tissue‐non‐specific alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme gene mutations

We successfully assessed a fetus at risk for lethal infantile hypophosphatasia using amniocyte DNA and allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) probes for two missense mutations in the tissue-non-specific alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme (TNSALP) gene. The nucleotide changes had been discovered in a sister who died at 8 months of age from this inborn error of metabolism. The mother was known to carry the 747 (cDNA) G-->A transition, whereas her husband and 5-year-old daughter, who were also healthy, carried the 1309 A-->T transversion. Amniocytes, obtained at 16 weeks' gestation, provided genomic DNA for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the appropriate TNSALP gene exons. ASO hybridization revealed absence of the 747A mutation and presence of the 1309T base changes in the fetus, indicating a carrier for hypophosphatasia. At 8 months of age, the offspring was in excellent health and without any radiological evidence of skeletal disease. His serum ALP activity and plasma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate level were decreased and increased, respectively, at levels consistent with the prenatal assessment. The ASO studies were confirmed postnatally using peripheral blood leukocyte DNA. This is the first application of direct mutational analysis to assess a fetus at risk for hypophosphatasia.
Directing Traffic and Autophagy in Axonal Transport

In this issue of Developmental Cell , Fu et al. (2014) address what determines persistent directional movement along microtubules of organelles capable of bidirectional transit. They show that retrograde axonal autophagosome transport is mediated by the scaffolding protein JIP1, which not only inhibits anterograde movement but may also promote autophagosome maturation.
Scanning on the fly: An approach to the user interface

Abstract Educational software must provide a “friendly” user interface in order to prevent student frustration. A recurring source of student frustration is the task of responding to prompts issued by the computer. Scanning on the fly reduces the difficulty of this task. It prevents the possibility of errors of form in student responses by accepting only keystrokes that lead to correctly formatted responses. This approach has the advantage that all text displayed by the computer pertains to the content of the lesson and none to the technical use of the computer. Its implementation is based on the notion of a finite state automaton, yielding reliable and easily modifiable software. Scanning on the fly has been used in the development of microcomputer-based instructional software for college algebra and trigonometry.
Factor analysis of the WAIS and wechsler memory scale: An analysis of the construct validity of the wechsler memory scale

The WAIS and Wechsler Memory Scale subtest scores of 256 neurologic and nonneurologic subjects were factor analyzed. The results supported the construct validity of the Wechsler Memory Scale as a measure of verbal learning and memory, attention and concentration, and orientation. Construct validity was not demonstrated for the Visual Reproduction subtest as a measure of visual memory. Suggestions are offered for future development and research on measures of visual memory.
Degree of supervision, moral hazard, and hierarchical control

Abstract This paper discusses the payoff of establishing a hierarchical structure in a production supervision environment using agency theory perspective. The principal's limited degree of supervision and the agents' moral hazard problem explain the rationale of separating the principal from direct production supervision. The circumstances that the principal can benefit from the expanded hierarchy are examined in this paper.
On the Antiquity of Shamanism and its Role in Human Religiosity

Drawing upon ethnographic data on the thriving and dynamic shamanistic tradition in Nepal (gathered between 1999 and 2008), this paper addresses the problematic nature of many of the central assumptions concerning shamanism and its place in the development of human religiosity. These include beliefs that shamanism was the universal religion of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers and that it represents a neurotheology, the expressions of which have been preserved in ancient cave art and in the magico-religious beliefs and practices of extant or recently extant hunting-gathering cultures on the peripheries of the “civilized world.” The paucity of any concrete testable and falsifiable evidence for any of these assumptions raises the compelling question of why so many anthropologists, archaeologists, and scholars in other fields subscribe to these views. The answer does not lead to some ancient grotto or an undisputable assemblage of Paleolithic shamanic paraphernalia, but to the imagination of Mircea Eliade, whose vision of shamanism is rooted in the musings of nineteenth century anthropologists.
Randomized Selection on the Hypercube

In this paper, we present randomized algorithms for selection on the hypercube. We identify two variants of the hypercube, namely, thesequential modeland theparallel model. In the sequential model, any node at any time can handle only communication along a single incident edge, whereas in the parallel model a node can communicate along all its incident edges at the same time. We specify three variations of the parallel model and present optimal randomized algorithms on all these three versions of parallel model. In particular, we show that selection on an input of sizencan be performed on ap-node hypercube in timeO((n/p) + logp) with high probability, on any of the three versions of the parallel model. This result is important in view of a lower bound that implies that selection needs ?((n/p)log logp+ logp) time on ap-node sequential hypercube. We modify our selection algorithm to run on the sequential hypercube in which case it runs in an expected time nearly matching this lower bound. For the special case whenn=p, our selection algorithm runs in an optimalO(logn) time on the sequential hypercube. Our algorithms are very simple and are most likely to perform well in practice.
Using a short food frequency questionnaire to estimate dietary calcium consumption: a tool for patient education.

Objective. To develop a short food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) assessing calcium intake and a prediction equation for estimating total calcium intake from the short FFQ. Methods. Data were collected from 536 women via mailed questionnaires at 3 time points. Stepwise regression analyses were used to identify those foods and beverages included in the Block Health Habits and History Questionnaire (HHHQ) that explained the most variance in participants' dietary calcium intake. A prediction equation was developed to estimate total calcium intake based only on information from the foods/beverages identified. Results. Calcium obtained from 15 foods/beverages explained 97.2% of the variance in total calcium intake. The mean absolute difference between total calcium intake estimated from the 15 foods/beverages and the full HHHQ was less than 50 mg at each time point. Conclusion. Findings suggest that a short FFQ can provide estimates of total dietary calcium consumption comparable to the full Block HHHQ.
Reconfigurable multi-channel second-order silicon microring-resonator filterbanks for on-chip WDM systems

We report a precisely tuned and reconfigurable wide-band twenty-channel second-order dual filterbank, with tunable channel spacing and 20 GHz single-channel bandwidth, fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. The crosstalk between channels is <35 dB, and the thermo-optic tuning efficiency is about 28 μW/GHz/ring. This filterbank is suitable for on-chip wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) applications, and has the largest-to-date reported number of channels built on an SOI platform.
Age, clinical severity, and the differentiation of depressive psychopathology: A test of the orthogenetic hypothesis

Werner's orthogenetic principle states that human behavior proceeds from a state of global diffuseness to one of articulated complexity, and that as individuals develop, their responses to the environment become more specific and more differentiated. The present study evaluated this hypothesis, in relation to psychopathology in general and depression in particular. Child Behavior Checklist responses for 1, 345 outpatient and inpatient children and adolescents were compared along two developmental dimensions: age and clinical severity. Results failed to support the hypothesis that the psychopathology in general is more differentiated among older and more severely disturbed children. The findings did indicate, however, that depression was more distinct among the older, more severely disturbed subjects. Finally, little evidence of a categorical depression was found in any of the four age by severity groups.
A Detailed Power System Planning Model: Estimating the Long-Run Impact of Carbon-Reducing Policies

In this paper, a much more detailed representation of the nation's electricity system than has been traditionally used in policy models is employed. This detailed representation greatly increases the computational difficulty of obtaining optimal solutions, but is necessary to accurately model the location of new investment in generation. Given the proposed regulation of CO2 emissions from US power plants, an examination of economically efficient policies for reducing these emissions is warranted. The model incorporates realistic physical constraints, investment and retirement of generation, and price-responsive load to simulate the effects of policies for limiting CO2 emissions over a twenty-year forecast horizon. Using network reductions for each of the three electric system regions in the U.S. And Canada, an optimal economic dispatch, that satisfies reliability criteria, is assigned for 12 typical hour-types in each year. Three scenarios are modeled that consider subsidies for renewables and either CO2 emissions regulation on new investment or cap-and-trade. High and low gas price trends are also simulated and have large effects on prices of electricity but small impacts on CO2 emissions. Low gas prices with cap-and-trade reduce CO2 emissions the most, large subsidies for renewables alone do not reduce carbon emissions much below existing levels. Extensive retirement of coal-fired power plants occurs in all cases.
A general wave equation for waves over rippled beds

A time-dependent extension of the reduced wave equation of Berkhoff is developed for the case of waves propagating over a bed consisting of ripples superimposed on an otherwise slowly varying mean depth which satisfies the mild-slope assumption. The ripples are assumed to have wavelengths on the order of the surface wavelength but amplitudes which scale as a small parameter along with the bottom slope. The theory is verified by showing that it reduces to the case of plane waves propagating over a patch of sinusoidal ripples, which vary in one direction and extend to ± ∞ in the transverse direction, studied recently by Davies & Heathershaw and Mei. We then formulate and use coupled parabolic equations to study propagation over patches of arbitrary form in order to study wave reflection.
Spatial variability of snow chemistry in an alpine snowpack, southern Wyoming

[1] The spatial variability of ionic concentrations in snowpack at the Glacier Lakes Ecosystem Experimental Site (GLEES) in Wyoming's Rocky Mountains during the 1988–1990 water years was examined using a variety of statistical analyses. Snow chemical concentrations were quite variable over small increments of time and space; however, the extensive sampling at GLEES allowed concentration patterns in the basin to be detected. Only Ca2+ and H+ had significantly different average values in pits from different parts of GLEES. These differences plus further geological and multivariate analyses indicated a separate eolian source for those ions. Concentration patterns resembled reports from other continental sites and were distinct from the Sierra Nevada of California, which has marine-dominated snow chemistry. All major ions, except Ca2+ and NH4+, showed significant concentration differences in snow strata with different morphologies. Lower concentrations of H+ and NO3− were observed in more highly metamorphosed snow, and lower concentrations of NO3− were observed in shallow pits as compared to deeper pits at the same location, indicating that HNO3 was released from the pack prior to snowmelt. The large spatial variations in concentrations require 50 or more samples for reasonably narrow confidence intervals for basin-wide values for most means and coefficients of variation.
Testing an Adaptive Hypothesis Through Context‐Dependence: Effects of Water Depth on Foraging Behaviour in Three Species of Garter Snakes

Adaptive hypotheses based on interspecific comparisons can be tested by evaluating the context-dependence of the behaviour of individual organisms. Drummond (Behaviour, 86, 1983, 1) categorized garter snake species (Thamnophis) as terrestrial-aquatic generalists or aquatic specialists based on diet and aquatic foraging behaviour. He hypothesized that the characteristic foraging behaviours of aquatic specialists - including frequent crawling on the underwater substrate and a high rate of underwater predatory strikes - are adaptations for feeding on relatively widely dispersed aquatic prey. Drummond's hypothesis based on interspecific comparisons suggests that individual snakes might change their foraging in the direction of aquatic specialist behaviour with an increase in water depth (which increases prey dispersion). I tested this prediction through laboratory observations of Mexican Pacific lowlands garter snakes (T. validus) feeding on minnows in shallow (2 cm) and deep (3-7 cm) water. Members of this species are appropriate subjects because they are ecologically intermediate between the generalists and aquatic specialists studied by Drummond, and thus might be expected to show more variation in aquatic foraging behaviour than those species. T. validus showed significantly higher frequencies of crawling on the underwater substrate and of underwater strikes in the deep water than in the shallow water; i.e. increased water depth shifted the behaviour of these snakes toward that of aquatic specialists, thus supporting Drummond's hypothesis. Individuals of an aquatic specialist species, the narrow-headed garter snake (T. rufipunctatus), showed less pronounced changes in behaviour with increased water depth. Western ribbon snakes (T. proximus), which feed primarily at the land-water interface (and are expected to act like terrestrial-aquatic generalists), typically refused to feed in deep water. Interspecific differences in underwater visual acuity may underly the behavioural differences among the three species by determining whether changes in foraging behaviour with water depth are advantageous. Information on phylogenetic relationships suggests that the facultative behaviour of T. validus may represent an intermediate stage in the evolution of aquatic specialization.
Scaling CFL-Reachability-Based Points-To Analysis Using Context-Sensitive Must-Not-Alias Analysis

Pointer analyses derived from a Context-Free-Language (CFL) reachability formulation achieve very high precision, but they do not scale well to compute the points-to solution for an entire large program. Our goal is to increase significantly the scalability of the currently most precise points-to analysis for Java. This CFL-reachability analysis depends on determining whether two program variables may be aliases. We propose an efficient but less precise pre-analysis that computes context-sensitive must-not-alias information for all pairs of variables. Later, these results can be used to quickly filter out infeasible CFL-paths during the more precise points-to analysis. Several novel techniques are employed to achieve precision and efficiency, including a new approximate CFL-reachability formulation of alias analysis, as well as a carefully-chosen trade-off in context sensitivity. The approach effectively reduces the search space of the points-to analysis: the modified points-to analysis is more than three times faster than the original analysis.
Air-ground Integration Dynamics in Exchange of Information for Control

The world community of aviation operations is engaged in a vast, system-wide evolution of procedures, technologies and services that significantly affect human/system integration. The nature of this evolution is relaxation of restrictions in air transport operations wherever feasible. The relaxation includes schedule control, route control, and, potentially, separation authority in some phases of flight, for example aircraft self-separation in enroute. The dynamic concept of operations provides new challenge to the human operators of that system. The human operators (pilots, air traffic controllers, and airline operations personnel) must monitor system performance as they do now, but also predict the impact of the distribution of authority and control that might result as a function of the airspace configuration, aircraft state or equipage, and other operational constraints [9, 10]. In order to safely and effectively define the new process and procedures for this evolving concept, the human operator’s performance must be clearly and consistently included in the design of the new operation and of any automation aiding that is proposed to help the operators in their distributed activities. The experiment reported here was undertaken to characterize the impact of a shift in separation authority on controller performance in a complex center operation. Controllers managed simulated air traffic in the OCALA sector of the Jacksonville Center. Controllers managed the traffic under conditions of full positive ground control under two operating conditions and two levels of separation authority being ceded to aircraft. Measurements were made across a range of operational and operator variables. Significant differences in both operational and subjective measures were found in response to the primary manipulation of control authority.
Calculation of relative thermal elongation of structural steels

In the recent past, there have been a number of studies toward predicting the thermal and structural behavior of components subjected to elevated temperature due to an exposure to fire. Numerical modeling has been applied quite extensively toward this end. An accurate numerical model requires the use of appropriate thermophysical properties of the materials such as steels, concretes etc. Recent investigations into the collapse of World Trade Center building 7 showed that thermal expansion played an important role in the generation of stresses at elevated temperatures in components that are restrained structurally [Structural fire response and probable collapse sequence of World Trade Center Building 7, NIST NCSTR 1–9, November 2008]. In this article, relative thermal elongations of structural steels are computed using an approach similar to the one proposed by Andres et al. [Scr Mater 39:791, 1998] but with a novel method of computing volume phase fractions using a thermodynamic database in conjunction with Thermo-Calc [Thermo-Calc Software (2009) https://doi.org/www.thermocalc.com , Stockholm Technology Park, Bjornnasvagen 21, SE-113 47 Stockholm, Sweden], a software that performs standard equilibrium calculations and calculation of thermodynamic quantities based on thermodynamic databases. Thermal expansion coefficient values were computed for a steel of eutectoid composition and an ASTM A572 Grade 50 steel. While the volume fractions of phases for A572 steel were computed using the thermodynamic approach, those for the eutectoid steel were computed using an approach similar to the one proposed in reference [Scr Mater 39:791, 1998]. The computed values of relative thermal elongation were compared with the values obtained from Eurocode. While the match was reasonable for the most part, there are significant differences in the values obtained during the phase transformation range (967–1,086 K for ASTM A572 Grade 50 steel). Also, the computed values were compared against those recommended during the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) World Trade Center failure investigation. Reasonable agreement was achieved in the temperature range between room temperature and 600 °C (873 K).
Tweeting Taksim communication power and social media advocacy in the Taksim square protests

Influence from the perspective of the social media user has been under-examined.This study content analyzes 770 Tweets from the Taksim Square Protests.Information dissemination and personal commentary were more common than calls to action.Results suggest content ownership is a central consideration for influence on social media. The extent to which social media empower individuals represents a fruitful yet untapped area of communication research. This study explores the phenomenon whereby individuals exert their influence and seek change in a particular case of social media engagement-the Taksim Square protests in Turkey in 2013. Building from literatures in social media engagement and empowerment, and using Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, we content analyzed 770 Taksim-related messages on Twitter. Results suggest that efforts to seek change in social media are realized through information dissemination more than through calls to action and social organization. Namely, social media users seek influence through vicarious experience-representation of the experience of others-than direct personal experience. From these findings, we argue that social media is used to effect change from a distance, and that content ownership and online reputation are driving forces of online participation in an issue.