cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
La homogeneización del presente: Consciencia global y tiempo de la historia en crónicas sobre la primera vuelta al mundo (1585-1601)

This article analyzes narratives about the first circumnavigation of the world by focusing on chronicles published between 1585 and 1601. The first part shows how at the end of the 16th century visual and literary references to the Nao Victoria emphasized the rupture between antiquity and the modern time. The second part examines how Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas’ Historia General… (1601) entangled histories about the first circumnavigation with other events at the beginning of the third decade. The article shows how chronicles reshaped the categories of past, present, and future by placing at the center the experience of circumnavigation in the present time. By analyzing the tension between space of experience and horizon of expectation, I argue that late 16th century chronicles narrated the first circumnavigation of the world as a present time emancipatory experience in rupture with the past.
Assessing Preference in a Paired-Stimulus Arrangement with Captive Vultures (Aegypius Monachus)

Vultures play an important role in our ecosystem by filtering out bacteria and viruses harmful to humans (e.g., rabies, botulism). However, many vultures remain in human care due to skill deficits and behavioral excesses, which can be treated using behavior-management practices that rely on effective (often edible) reinforcers. The current study replicated the forced-choice or paired-stimulus preference assessment with five birds of prey. Across all vultures, participants displayed a preference for animal (e.g., meat) over nonanimal stimuli (e.g., fruit), and mice meat was the most preferred edible for 4 of the 5 vultures. The application of this methodology to birds of prey might allow rehabilitators, conservationists, and other caretakers to make greater gains in training vultures to both acquire new skills and decrease problem behavior using highly preferred edible items.
Comprehensive Treatment Strategies for Spinal Meningiomas

Spinal meningiomas are the second most common intradural extramedullary tumor and are commonly encountered in neurosurgical practice. In the era of widespread access to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), these tumors can be encountered incidentally, leaving patients and referring providers anxious for treatment recommendations. This chapter will systematically address considerations for diagnosis and management of spinal meningioma.
Implementation of Broadband near-UV Pump Pulses for Ultrafast 2D Electronic-Vibrational Spectroscopy

We present the generation of efficient, tunable sub-20 fs broadband near UV pulses. The tunable pulses are used in two-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopy and reveal additional vibronic states in an excited state intramolecular proton transfer process.
How Have the Skills College Graduates Develop Changed Over Time? Evidence from 3 Million Course Descriptions

Skill-biased technological change has advantaged highly educated workers relative to workers with less education. The link between education and skill complementarity with technology is not obvious: differences across institutions and fields of study yield substantial variation in students' skill development, and incentives for institutions to emphasize new skills are theoretically ambiguous. I provide novel evidence of institution responses to changing skill demand using a unique dataset of course descriptions scraped from a diverse sample of colleges and universities in the United States. Course descriptions are a snapshot of a university's offerings and provide insight into its instructional priorities and resources. I find that college courses increasingly emphasized cognitive and social skill development as demand for workers with strong cognitive and social skills grew in the labor market. Between 2012-2020, courses intensive in cognitive or social skills each grew by 11% as a share of total course offerings. The paper provides some of the first analysis of within-institution course supply responses to changes in student and labor market demand.
Trust and the Islamic Advantage: religious-based movements in Turkey and the Muslim world

Why have Islamic parties been so successful in the nascent democracies of Muslim-majority countries? The existing literature answers this question in several ways. Grievance theory posits that poli...
microRNA dynamic expression regulates invariant NKT cells

Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) are a prevalent population of innate-like T cells in mice, but quite rare in humans that are critical for regulation of the innate and adaptive immune responses during antimicrobial immunity, tumor rejection, and inflammatory diseases. Multiple transcription factors and signaling molecules that contribute to iNKT cell selection and functional differentiation have been identified. However, the full molecular network responsible for regulating and maintaining iNKT populations remains unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of evolutionarily conserved, small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. Previous reports uncovered the important roles of miRNAs in iNKT cell development and function using Dicer mutant mice. In this review, we discuss the emerging roles of individual miRNAs in iNKT cells reported by our group and other groups, including miR-150, miR-155, miR-181, let-7, miR-17 ~ 92 cluster, and miR-183-96-182 cluster. It is likely that iNKT cell development, differentiation, homeostasis, and functions are orchestrated through a multilayered network comprising interactions among master transcription factors, signaling molecules, and dynamically expressed miRNAs. We provide a comprehensive view of the molecular mechanisms underlying iNKT cell differentiation and function controlled by dynamically expressed miRNAs.
Variation in SARS-CoV-2 bioaerosol production in exhaled breath

Using face mask bioaerosol sampling, we found substantial variation between individuals in SARS-CoV-2 copies exhaled over a 15-minute period, which moderately correlated with nasal swab viral load. Talking was associated with a median of 2 log10 greater exhaled viral copies. Exposure varies substantially between individuals but may be risk stratified by nasal swab viral load and whether the exposure involved conversation.
Octave-spanning lithium niobate soliton microcombs

We report lithium niobate soliton microcombs with spectral bandwidths ex-ceeding one octave and spanning 125 THz to 268 THz.
Interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability education: islands of progress in a sea of dysfunction

This essay describes the inequity faced by most interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability (IES) degree programs and the impact of that inequity on student and faculty experiences. Despite the urgent need for IES education and research to solve critical environmental and sustainability challenges, as well as high demand for IES education by students and employers alike, we illustrate and discuss how the majority of IES programs suffer from limited resources or unequal standing relative to the traditional disciplines. Traditional disciplinary departments, which dominate university structures and were created decades before most IES programs, often have a monopolistic grip on hiring, firing, and the tenure-granting process. We argue universities must structurally reform to support IES programs, given that this disciplinary silo problem is so deep-rooted and restrictive. We assert the urgent need for equivalent autonomous status and equivalent resources for IES programs, preferably as schools, colleges, and institutes or centers that have core interdisciplinary faculty and draw upon resources across the university, or for smaller schools as IES departments. We also strongly support initiatives to more effectively support the integration of IES knowledge across all higher education curricula. We conclude with a list of recommendations we believe are necessary to support IES higher education.
Outcomes of Ultrasound-Guided Trigger Point Injection for Abdominal Wall Pain.

Abdominal wall pain (AWP) is an important cause of chronic abdominal pain. History and physical examination are critical to the diagnosis of AWP. Trigger point injection (TPI) using either a steroid or a local anesthetic or a combination of both is often used to treat AWP. To determine the efficacy of ultrasound-guided TPI and to determine the predictors of a successful response. Patients who received ultrasound-guided TPI between July 2010 and June 2011 were surveyed. The primary outcome was determined using the Treatment Efficacy Questionnaire (TEQ). Electronic medical records were reviewed to determine patient, pain and TPI characteristics. Linear regression was used to determine the predictors of a successful response on the TEQ. Right upper quadrant was the most common site of AWP, and the median pain duration was 12 months. Pain was rated as >8 (1–10 scale) by 57 % and 30 % described it as an ache. Narcotic use was reported in 38 %, and 73 % had a history of at least one abdominal surgery. Forty-four of the 120 (37 %) patients met the criteria for responder on the TEQ. Compared to before treatment, 36 % reported being “significantly better” and 22 % “slightly better.” Multiple linear regression analysis showed that higher somatization negatively predicted response. None of the other historical, examination or TPI characteristics were associated with response to the TPI. TPI can provide significant, long-term symptom relief in a third of patients with chronic abdominal pain attributed to AWP. Somatization was inversely related to the treatment success.
Role of life cycle assessment in sustainable aquaculture

As an alternative food source to wild fisheries, aquaculture shows a great potential to help meet the growing demand for seafood and animal protein. The expansion of aquaculture has been achieved partly by system intensifica- tion, which has drawn vast criticisms of aquaculture for its environmental, social and economic sustainability issues. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has become the leading tool for identifying key environmental impacts of seafood production systems. A LCA evaluates the sustainability of diverse aquaculture systems quantitatively from a cradle-to-grave perspective. It provides a scien- tific basis for analysing system improvement and the development of certifica- tion and eco-labelling criteria. Current efforts focus on integrating local ecological and socio-economic impacts into the LCA framework. A LCA can play an important role in informing decision makers in order to achieve more sustainable seafood production and consumption. This article reviews recent applications of LCA in aquaculture, compares the environmental performance of different aquaculture production systems, explores the potential of including biodiversity issues into LCA analysis and examines the potential of LCA in set- ting criteria for certification and eco-labelling.
RF vertical MOSFET utilizing power trench/sup /spl reg// technology for 50V operation

The vertical DMOS RF amplifier employs power trench technology to achieve 50 V operation. This paper discusses results from a study of a high breakdown voltage RF device, which can achieve a power per active area of 280 W/mm/sup 2/, at an operating voltage of 50 V and a power density of 100 W/mm/sup 2/ at an operating voltage of 28 V.
Walking in a Minefield

I am grateful to Frank Margonis for writing about white teachers and the minefields in which they work as they attempt to teach students of color in a neocolonial world context. I am very familiar with Gloria Ladson-Billings’ Dreamkeepers; in fact I have in my office enough copies for a class that was part of an urban multicultural teacher licensing program that attracted predominantly white, middle class women seeking to work in schools similar to Ms. Rossi’s. In my own work where I spent five years with students from collective cultures in American schools, I struggled with how to bring the students’ white teachers’ voices, like Ms. Rossi’s, into the conversation. Their good work deserves to be honored, as Ladson-Billings recognizes in Dreamkeepers, and Margonis attends to in his essay.
Congenital toxoplasmosis: A prospective study of 4,048 obstetric patients

Abstract Of the 4,048 patients, 2,765 had negative tests for toxoplasma antibodies and were at risk; 6 of these tests converted to positive during pregnancy, and 2 of the 6 transmitted toxoplasmosis to their infants. Of the 1,283 patients who had positive tests for Toxoplasma antibodies on prenatal blood specimens, 17 showed a substantial rise in titer during pregnancy, and 1 of these transmitted toxoplasmosis to her infant. The study population included 758 Negroes, 70 Orientals, 403 white patients born in Puerto Rico, and 2,817 whites born elsewhere. All 6 of the patients whose tests converted, 15 of the 17 who showed a rise in titer, and all 3 infected infants were white. Pregnant women should be advised to eat only well-cooked meat and to avoid exposure to cat feces.
Bilateral sequential non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in incomplete Reiter's syndrome

A 35-year-old man with a history of incomplete Reiter's syndrome presented with bilateral sequential non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), which was associated with an elevated IgG titer to Chlamydia pneumoniae. Previous reports have shown that optic disc edema as part of posterior segment inflammation may be seen in patients with incomplete Reiter's syndrome. This is the first case report demonstrating NAION occurring in incomplete Reiter's syndrome. C. pneumoniae and small optic discs could have predisposed him to develop both this syndrome and NAION.
Connexin43 knockdown or overexpression modulates cell coupling in control and failing rabbit left ventricular myocytes

Aims We have shown that failing human and rabbit left ventricle (LV) exhibits downregulation and dephosphorylation of connexin43 (Cx43) and that Cx43 dephosphorylation in heart failure (HF) contributes to reduced cell coupling. However, the role of Cx43 downregulation per se in impaired coupling in HF is unclear. Methods and results First, we used adenovirus (Ad) encoding a Cx43 siRNA sequence to knock down Cx43 protein levels in cultured control rabbit LV myocytes. Cells cultured for up to 48 h with intermittent pacing maintained Cx43 protein levels and phosphorylation status. Cell coupling in Cx43 knockdown myocyte pairs (by Lucifer Yellow dye transfer) was markedly reduced after 24 h infection (associated with ∼40% Cx43 knockdown) and after 48 h (associated with ∼70% Cx43 knockdown). The phosphorylation status, distribution of remaining Cx43 proteins, and levels of other cardiac connexins (Cx40 and Cx45) were unchanged. Second, we overexpressed Cx43 to levels comparable to control using an adenovirus encoding wild-type Cx43 (Cx43WT) gene in isolated LV myocytes from our arrhythmogenic HF rabbit model. We found 87% more Cx43WT proteins improved dye coupling [vs. Ad-β-galactosidase (LacZ) infected HF controls]. Overexpressed Cx43 protein was located throughout the myocyte membrane (same pattern as in controls), and the phosphorylation status of Cx43 remained comparable to that in AdLacZ infected HF controls. Conclusion In addition to Cx43 dephosphorylation, downregulation of Cx43 plays an essential role in reduced cell coupling in the failing rabbit heart. Modulation of Cx43 expression could be a novel therapeutic approach to improve conduction and decrease sudden death in HF.
Yersinia enterocolitica endocarditis: case report and literature review.

Endocarditis is a rare manifestation ofYersinia enterocolitica infection. The case of a 45-year-old man who presented with high fever and in whom prosthetic valveYersinia enterocolitica endocarditis was diagnosed is described. The patient was successfully treated with ceftriaxone plus tobramycin, as proved by negative cultures of the prosthesis removed at the end of therapy. Including the patient reported, only 12 cases ofYersinia enterocolitica endocarditis have been published to date, two of which describe prosthetic cardiac valve endocarditis. The clinical characteristics do not distinguish septicemia from involvement limited to the cardiac valves. Diagnosis, however, has been improved by progress in echocardiography. Prognosis is grave but can be ameliorated if appropriate antimicrobial agents are administered, i.e. the combination of a third-generation cephalosporin plus an aminoglycoside. Fluoroquinolones may also constitute an attractive therapeutic alternative.
Modeling fate and transport of sulfate and alkalinity in an acidified lake

Acid mine drainage from Contrary Creek flows into an entire arm of Lake Anna. Much of the acid inflow is neutralized by bacterial sulfate reduction in the lake sediments. We developed a simple model to track the seasonal fate and mass transport of sulfate and alkalinity along the acidified arm. The loss of sulfate from the water column was characterized by a first-order decay reaction. A gain in alkalinity due to sulfate removal was also incorporated in the model. In addition, CO2 acidity and pH in the water column were calculated. The model was calibrated with data collected in 1983 and 1984. Model sensitivity runs were conducted to demonstrate the importance of sulfate reduction in the system.
ts transformation mutants of avian sarcoma virus PRCII: Lack of strict correlation between transforming ability and properties of the P105-associated kinase

Three mutants of avian sarcoma virus PRC-II, LA42, LA46, and LA47, have a temperature-sensitive (ts) lesion affecting cellular transformation in vitro. At the nonpermissive temperature (41.5°) they do not induce focus formation in fibroblast cultures. LA46 also fails to induce colonies in soft agar at 41.5°, while LA42 and LA47 have retained this ability. The mutations appear to be located in the transformation-specific insert of the defective sarcoma virus genomes, since association with different wild-type (wt) helper viruses does not lead to changes in the transforming phenotypes. The transformation-specific protein P105 of PRCII is detectable at the nonpermissive temperature in moderately reduced quantity in wt- and LA42-infected cells, while the amounts of P105 precipitable from LA47-infected cultures under these conditions are significantly decreased. LA46 made barely detectable quantities of P105 at 41.5°. This temperature sensitivity of LA46 in the synthesis of P105 may reflect the greatly reduced levels of transformation-specific RNA in LA46-infected cells at 41.5°. Intracellular phosphorylation of P105 was not found to be ts in the mutants or in wt PRCII at both serine and tyrosine acceptor sites. P105 extracted from wt-, ts mutant- or wt-revertant-infected cells at permissive and nonpermissive temperatures did not vary significantly in the specific activity of its associated protein kinase as assayed in vitro by phosphorylation of P105 itself. However, preincubation of P105 in vitro at 41.5° revealed greater instability of protein kinase reactions measured in P105 immunoprecipitates from mutant- as compared to wt-infected cells. Also the elevation of cellular phosphotyrosine, characteristics of PRCII-transformed cells, was greatly reduced in ts mutant-infected cells at the nonpermissive temperature but was restored to wt levels in genetic revertants derived from the ts mutants. These observations suggest that there is no direct correlation between in vivo or in vitro phosphorylation of P105 and the induction of all parameters of oncogenic transformation. The increase of total cellular phosphotyrosine appears to be correlated with focus formation, but not with the ability to induce agar colonies.
Electroconvulsive Therapy for Affective Disorders in Persons with Mental Retardation

Despite the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy for the treatment of affective disorders there are no systematic studies of its effectiveness or safety in the mentally retarded population. A literature search revealed 16 case reports that suggests that it is both as effective and safe with mentally retarded persons as in the general population. Four additional clinical vignettes, with extensive follow-up observation from four to eleven years, are presented in an effort to enrich the literature on this subject. They include patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder, bipolar disorder, manic phase, major depression with psychotic features and schizoaffective disorder. Issues of diagnostic difficulty and pharmacologic prophylaxis are addressed.
Flavonoids protect human retinal pigment epithelial cells from oxidative-stress-induced death.

PURPOSE. To determine whether specific dietary and synthetic flavonoids can protect human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from oxidative-stress-induced death. METHODS. The efficacy and potency were determined of a variety of dietary and synthetic flavonoids on the survival of human ARPE-19 cells and primary human RPE cells treated with either hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) or t-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH). We determined the effective concentrations (EC 50 s) and the toxicities (LD 50 s) of the flavonoids after 24 hours, by using the MTT assay. The efficacy of vitamins E and C on RPE cell survival were compared under identical conditions. The ability of specific flavonoids to protect RPE cells from cell death was determined at various time intervals after the cells were exposed to oxidative stress. The ability of flavonoids to block the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species was examined with dichlorofluorescein (DCF) fluorescence. Finally, the ability of flavonoids to induce phase-2 detoxifying enzymes was tested by immunoblot analysis for the transcription factor Nrf2 and the phase-2 gene product heme-oxygenase 1. RESULTS. Specific flavonoids protected human RPE cells from oxidative-stress-induced death with efficacies between 80% and 100% and potencies in the high-nanomolar and low-micromolar range. The toxicities of most of the effective flavonoids were low. The effective flavonoids included the dietary flavonoids fisetin, luteolin, quercetin, eriodictyol, baicalein, galangin and EGCG, and the synthetic flavonoids, 3,6-dihydroxy flavonol and 3,7 dihydroxy flavonol. Several flavonoids can protect RPE cells even when they are added after the cells have been exposed to oxidative stress. The flavonoids acted through an intracellular route to block the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Many of these flavonoids induced the expression of Nrf2 and the phase-2 gene product heme-oxygenase 1 in human RPE cells. CONCLUSIONS. The results identify a select group of flavonoids that protect RPE cells from oxidative-stress-induced death with a high degree of potency and low toxicity. Many of these flavonoids also induce the expression of phase-2 detoxification proteins which could function to provide additional protection against oxidative stress. This select group of flavonoids and the foods that contain high levels of these compounds may have some clinical benefit for patients with retinal diseases associated with oxidative stress.
Partial melt processing of magnetically-aligned YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7- delta / thick films

Textured YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ (YBCO) thick films were fabricated in the green state by casting particulate-based suspensions in an applied magnetic field (7 T) at ambient temperature. These films, along with nonaligned films, were fired to various temperatures above the peritectic temperature ( approximately= 1020 degrees C) to evaluate the effects of partial melt processing on their microstructural development and performance properties. The degree of domain alignment in the fired films was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. This showed that the aligned films had a high degree of c-axis texture. Examination by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed distinct differences in both the film density and texture development between aligned and nonaligned films. The magnetic properties of each film were measured at 5 K using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer (5.5 T maximum field). These measurements indicated that a high degree of anisotropy was present only in the partial melt processed aligned YBCO films. >
Changes in Sibling configurations for American preschool children

Abstract This paper uses data drawn from the 1940 through 1980 Public Use Microdata Samples of the U.S. Census of Population to document sibling configurations from the child's perspective. Changes in four aspects of siblings are examined for five cohorts of white and black preschool‐aged children: number, birth order distributions, spacing intervals, and sex composition. Changes in fertility behavior of adults in the post‐war era had a profound effect on the structure of sibling systems experienced by children. Successive cohorts of preschool children show a rise in number of siblings through the early post‐war years before showing sharp declines in number of siblings through the 1960's and 1970's. These shifts in size of sibling sets are reflected in changes in the proportion of each cohorts who are first born and only children, both of which have increased substantially by the 1980 cohort. The 1940 and 1980 cohorts have similar proportions of children with short intervals. However, the middle cohorts s...
Pelvic resection of recurrent rectal cancer

PURPOSE: Pelvic recurrence of rectal cancer is an ominous event for the patient and a formidable challenge to the managing surgeon. We reviewed the results of abdominosacral resection to manage these patients and correlated outcome (survival and recurrence) with known prognostic factors. METHODS: An abdominosacral resection was performed on 61 patients with pelvic recurrence (53 with curative intent and 6 for palliation; 2 had extended pelvic resection). Of the 53 patients (32 males; average age, 59 years) previous resection included abdominoperineal resection in 27 patients, abdominoperineal resection plus hepatic lobectomy in 2 patients, low anterior resection in 19 patients, plus trisegmentectomy in 1 patient, and advanced primary cancers in 4 patients. Initial primary stage was Dukes B (64 percent) and Dukes C (36 percent). All had been irradiated (3,000–6,500 in 50 patients, 8,300 and 11,000 in 2 patients, and unknown dose in 3 patients). Preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen was elevated (>5 ng/ml) in 54 percent. Extent of resection: high sacral resection S-1–S-2 was done in 32 patients, midsacrum in 14 patients, and low S-4–S-5 in 6 patients. Twenty-eight patients (60 percent) required partial or complete bladder resection with or without adjacent viscera, and all had internal iliac and obturator node dissection. RESULTS: There were four postoperative (within 60 days) deaths, 8 percent in curative groups (5.4 percent overall). Major complications included prolonged intubation (20 percent), sepsis (34 percent), posterior wound infection or flap separation (38 percent). The survival rate in the curative group (49 postoperative survivors) was 31 percent at five years, with 13 patients surviving beyond five years. Seven of these patients survived from 5 to 21 years, whereas six patients recurred again and died within 5.5 to 7.5 years after abdominosacral resection. Disease-free survival rate at five years was 23 percent. Recent reconstruction with large composite myocutaneous gluteal flaps in 5 patients permitted complete sacral wound coverage, resulting in earlier ambulation and reduced hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Abdominosacral resection permits removal of pelvic recurrence of rectal cancer that is fixed to the sacrum and is associated with long-term survival in 31 percent of patients. Recent technical advances have improved the short-term outcome and have made the procedure more feasible for surgical teams familiar with these techniques.
Interactions of green or red light with blue light on the dark closure of Albizzia pinnules

The interactions of green or red light with blue light on the dark closing of Albizzia julibrissin Durazz. pinnules have been investigated. Irradiations at 430, 450 and 470 nm progressively delay dark closing with increasing photon fluence rates. Red or green light alone has no effect. However, when the blue fluence rate is low, both red and green light interact with it and increase the delaying effect of the blue light. When the blue fluence rate is high, green light interacts with it to negate some of the effectiveness of the blue light, while red light has no effect. This is similar to results obtained previously with far-red light. It is suggested that the same unidentified photoreceptor is operating in both the far-red and blue regions. The results also indicate the presence of a blue-only absorbing photoreceptor whose action is increased by phytochrome.
Cortisol, obesity and the metabolic syndrome: A cross-sectional study of obese subjects and review of the literature

Circulating cortisol and psychosocial stress may contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity and metabolic syndrome. To evaluate these relationships, we performed a cross-sectional study of 369 overweight and obese subjects and 60 healthy volunteers and reviewed the previous literature. Overweight and obese subjects had at least two other features of Cushing’s syndrome. They underwent measurements representing cortisol dynamics (24h urine cortisol excretion (UFC), bedtime salivary cortisol, 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test) and metabolic parameters (BMI, blood pressure (BP); fasting serum triglycerides, HDL, insulin, and glucose). Subjects also completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). UFC, salivary cortisol and weight from 60 healthy volunteers were analyzed. No subject had Cushing’s syndrome. UFC and dexamethasone responses were not associated with BMI or weight. However, salivary cortisol showed a trend to increase as BMI increased (P< 0.0001), and correlated with waist circumference (WC) in men (rs=0.28, P=0.02) and systolic BP in women (rs=0.24, P =0.0008). Post-dexamethasone cortisol levels were weak to moderately correlated with fasting insulin (rs=− 0.31, P=0.01) and HOMA-IR (rs=−0.31, P=0.01) in men and systolic (rs=0.18, P= 0.02) and diastolic BP (rs=0.20, P=0.009) in women. PSS results were higher in obese subjects than controls, but were not associated with cortisol or metabolic parameters. As expected, WC correlated with fasting insulin, HOMA-IR and systolic BP (adjusted for BMI and gender; P < 0.01). Literature showed inconsistent relationships between cortisol and metabolic parameters. Taken together, these data do not support a strong relationship between systemic cortisol or stress and obesity or metabolic syndrome.
An evaluation of the efficacy of a preventive intervention for 4th-6th grade urban children of divorce.

This study evaluates the efficacy of the Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP), a preventive intervention based on social support and coping skills, for 4th–6th grade urban children of divorce. Structure and content of the 14 group sessions were tailored to the developmental level and sociocultural make-up of the target sample. Pre-post comparisons of demographically matched groups of 57 CODIP participants, 38 non-program divorce controls and 93 children from non-divorced families revealed improvements on parent, child and group leader measures of adjustment. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed.
Electrical overstress (EOS) power profiles: A guideline to qualify EOS hardness of semiconductor devices

Abstract We propose the power-to-failure vs. time-to-failure relationship (power profile) as a measure to determine the EOS hardness of integrated circuits. Bipolar integrated circuits with different I/O ESD protection designs were characterized for HBM-ESD and EOS under unipolar stress conditions. Measured power profiles indicate that good ESD performance is not a sufficient condition to assure EOS robustness. Furthermore, experimentally measured power profiles together with failure analysis techniques can pinpoint layout design weaknesses.
Celestial Rotation: Its Importance in the Development of Migratory Orientation

Three groups of indigo buntings were hand-raised in various conditions of visual isolation from celestial cues. When they had been prevented from viewing the night sky prior to the autumn migration season, birds tested under planetarium skies were unable to select the normal migration direction. By contrast, when they had been exposed as juveniles to a normal, rotating, planetarium sky, individuals displayed typical southerly directional preferences. The third group was exposed to an incorrect planetarium sky in which the stars rotated about a fictitious axis. When tested during the autumn, these birds took up the "correct" migration direction relative to the new axis of rotation. These results fail to support the hypothesis of a "genetic star map." They suggest, instead, a maturation process in which stellar cues come to be associated with a directional reference system provided by the axis of celestial rotation.
Do Transition Economies and Developing Countries Have Similar Destinies

This paper evaluates the potential of transition economies for achieving sustainable improvements in living standards vis-a-vis developing countries based on their productivity performance. The comparison is made using a bootstrapped Malmquist productivity index and its technological and efficiency change components. The results of estimation indicate that transition economies enjoy significantly higher increases in technical efficiency than developing countries with comparable rates of real GDP growth. Therefore, these results suggest that the former group of countries may have better growth prospects than the latter group, giving empirical support to Stern and Fries’ (Foreign Policy 111:164–165, 1998) optimism that transition economies are the “tiger” economies of tomorrow.
Forward Pass: Policy Challenges and Technical Opportunities on the U.S. Electric Grid

Due to a variety of recent policy changes and technical innovations, the U.S. electric grid will encounter significant opportunities and challenges over the next several decades. As we have described above, various policy and system-level issues will need to be addressed and new technologies will need to be fully developed and used appropriately for the U.S. grid to evolve along an efficient path with minimal disruption and to ensure electricity rates and levels of reliability remain acceptable. The journey to the electric grid of 2030 has begun, and there will be plenty of surprises along the way. Much can and should be done now to smooth the road ahead.
CART Peptide Is a Potential Endogenous Antioxidant and Preferentially Localized in Mitochondria

The multifunctional neuropeptide Cocaine and Amphetamine Regulated Transcript (CART) is secreted from hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal gland and pancreas. It also can be found in circulatory system. This feature suggests a general role for CART in different cells. In the present study, we demonstrate that CART protects mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), cellular proteins and lipids against the oxidative action of hydrogen peroxide, a widely used oxidant. Using cis-parinaric acid as a sensitive reporting probe for peroxidation in membranes, and a lipid-soluble azo initiator of peroxyl radicals, 2,2′-Azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) we found that CART is an antioxidant. Furthermore, we found that CART localized to mitochondria in cultured cells and mouse brain neuronal cells. More importantly, pretreatment with CART by systemic injection protects against a mouse oxidative stress model, which mimics the main features of Parkinson's disease. Given the unique molecular structure and biological features of CART, we conclude that CART is an antioxidant peptide (or antioxidant hormone). We further propose that it may have strong therapeutic properties for human diseases in which oxidative stress is strongly involved such as Parkinson's disease.
The Pressure of Radiation on a Clear Glass Vane

IN an article on “The Elimination of Gas Action in Experiments on Light Pressure,” read before the American Physical Society in December, 1904, and published in the Physical Review, May, the writer made the following statement:—“A thin vane of clear glass, accurately vertical and mounted radially, may be used to advantage to demonstrate light pressure. If the light has been filtered through several thicknesses of glass there will be but little absorption by the thin vane and its two surfaces will be warmed nearly equally. Consequently the radio-metric effect will be small. The reflection of the radiation at the two surfaces will make a difference of about 16 per cent. between the energy in front of and behind the vane. Hence the light pressure will be about one-sixth of that due to the same light beam falling upon a black surface. The throws for such a vane had only about a ten per cent. variation in a range of air pressures from about 10 mm. to 200 mm. of mercury.”
Adaptive resource management algorithms for indoor mobile computing environments

Emerging indoor mobile computing environments seek to provide a user with an advanced set of communication-intensive applications, which require sustained quality of service in the presence of wireless channel error, user mobility, and scarce available resources. In this paper, we investigate two related approaches for the management of critical networking resources in indoor mobile computing environments:• adaptively re-adjusting the quality of service within pre-negotiated bounds in order to accommodate network dynamics and user mobility.• classifying cells based on location and handoff profiles, and designing advance resource reservation algorithms specific to individual cell characteristics.Preliminary simulation results are presented in order to validate the approaches for algorithmic design. A combination of the above approaches provide the framework for resource management in an ongoing indoor mobile computing environment project at the University of Illinois.
The James Webb Space Telescope: extending the science

The science objectives of the James Webb Space Telescope fall into four themes. The End of the Dark Ages: First Light and Reionization theme seeks to identify the first luminous sources to form and to determine the ionization history of the universe. The Assembly of Galaxies theme seeks to determine how galaxies and the dark matter, gas, stars, metals, morphological structures, and black holes within them evolved from the epoch of reionization to the present. The Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems theme seeks to unravel the birth and early evolution of stars, from infall onto dust-enshrouded protostars, to the genesis of planetary systems. The Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life theme seeks. to determine the physical and chemical properties of planetary systems around nearby stars and of our own, and to investigate the potential for life in those systems. These four science themes were used to establish the design requirements for the observatory and instrumentation. Since Webb's capabilities are unique, those science themes will remain relevant through launch and operations and goals contained within these themes will continue to guide the design and implementation choices for the mission. More recently, it has also become clear that Webb will make major contributions to other areas of research, including dark energy, dark matter, exoplanet characterization and Solar System objects. In this paper, I review the original four science themes and discuss how the scientific output of Webb will extend to these new areas of research.
(99M)Tc-ciprofloxacin in imaging of clinical infections in camelids and a goat

(99M)Tc-ciprofloxacin was used to image five adult camelids and a juvenile goat with clinical and/or radiographic signs of infection. (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin (range 10-33 MBq/kg) was injected intravenously and a series of 2-min static images were acquired at 1- and 4-h postinjection. At 24-h postinjection, 5-min static images were acquired. Only the skull or abdomen was imaged in the adults; the whole body was imaged in the goat. The quality of the 1-, 4-, and 24-h studies was evaluated subjectively. Normal and abnormal areas of (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin uptake were recorded and subjectively graded as mild, moderate or intense. Image quality was best 4-h postinjection. Twenty-four-hour images were poor because of insufficient radioactivity. (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin imaging resulted in true positive or true negative scans in four of six animals. Two false-negative studies occurred. Intense (99m)Tc-cirofloxacin activity was seen in the lungs and urinary bladder, moderate/intense activity in the kidneys, and mild activity in the physes/epiphyses, liver and intermittently in the gastrointestinal tract. The normal distribution of (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin in camelids/small ruminants differed from people. Further studies to determine the sensitivity and specificity of infection detection using (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin in animals are warranted.
Research Commentary. Academic Rewards for Teaching, Research, and Service: Data and Discourse

In most institutions faculty members are expected to teach, research, and perform community service. The emphasis placed on each activity is expected to vary considerably between institutions and departments. To examine this expectation, a nationwide survey was made of both American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) institutions and nonAACSB institutions. participants rated 80 publications for their value in reviews of research performance, and responded to a series of questions pertaining to the importance of publication types on the merit compensation, promotion, and tenure processes. These results were made available to the IS community, and approximately 150 comments were obtained. The survey results and the comments suggest that there might be some convergence in expectations of academic performance a cross institutions, as research-oriented institutions require better performance on teaching, teaching-oriented institutions require better performance in research, and all institutions impose greater service demands on IS faculty.
A loading impression technique for semiprecision and precision removable partial dentures

The rationale of designing a seimprecision or precision distal-extension removable partial denture and the justification of ridge loading in distal-extension ridge impression techniques have been presented. The effectiveness of existing impression techniques in securing firm seats for abutment castings, accurate border extension of the denture base, and loading of the ridge mucosa has been evaluated. A technique has been described that overcomes the limitations of existing impression techniques for semiprecision and precision distal-extension removable partial dentures.
Hazing and movements of Canada geese near Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska

Abstract Bird strikes to aircraft are a serious economic and safety problem in the United States, annually causing millions of dollars in damage to civilian and military aircraft and the occasional loss of human life. We observed movements of 1236 neckbanded lesser Canada geese ( Branta canadensis parvipes ) to determine efficacy of hazing as a means to reduce goose presence at Elmendorf Air Force Base (EAFB), Anchorage, Alaska from August to October 1997. Emphasis was on movements of geese onto EAFB with additional data collected at the other two major airports in the area, Anchorage International Airport (AIA) and Merrill Field Airport (MFA). Daily observations indicated the presence of 208 individual neckbanded geese on EAFB, and 20% returned more than once after being hazed from EAFB. We identified three staging areas, geese utilized prior to entering EAFB, and three post-hazing dispersal sites. Collared geese began moving onto EAFB 30–40 days post-molt with the largest proportions moving onto EAFB 70–90 days post-molt. We observed 75 neckbanded geese on AIA from seven molting sites, and 23% returned more than once after being hazed from AIA. We observed 141 neckbanded geese on MFA from 14 molting sites, and 21% returned more than once after being hazed from MFA. Our data indicated that as long as local goose populations increase, large numbers of Anchorage area geese are likely to enter one of the airports creating a variety of management problems. Hazed geese returning to airports multiple times present a special hazard to aircraft safety because they appear to have become habituated to non-lethal scare tactics. We recommend an integrated management approach to limit the Anchorage area goose population utilizing various control techniques which are acceptable to Anchorage residents while continuing the hazing program at area airports.
Electron−Phonon Coupling in Solubilized LHC II Complexes of Green Plants Investigated by Line-Narrowing and Temperature-Dependent Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Line-narrowed and temperature-dependent fluorescence spectra are reported for the solubilized trimeric light-harvesting complex of Photosystem II (LHC II). Special attention has been paid to eliminate effects owing to reabsorption and to ensure that the line-narrowed fluorescence spectra are virtually unaffected by hole burning or scattering artifacts. Analysis of line-narrowed fluorescence spectra at 4.2 K indicates that the lowest Qy-state of LHC II is characterized by weak electron−phonon coupling with a Huang−Rhys factor of ∼ 0.9 and a broad and strongly asymmetric one-phonon profile with a peak frequency ωm of 15 cm-1 and a width of Γ = 105 cm-1. The 4.2 K fluorescence data are further consistent with the assignment of the lowest Qy-state at ∼ 680.0 nm and an inhomogeneous width of ∼80 cm-1 gathered from a recent hole-burning study (Pieper et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 1999, 103, 2412). The temperature dependence of the fluorescence spectra of LHC II is simulated using the low-energy Qy-level structure rep...
Manufacturing strategy: propositions, current research, renewed directions

A substantial number of propositions have been made over the last 20 years regarding the content of manufacturing strategy and the process of strategy development and implementation. Although many of the propositions have been well received, few have been rigorously tested via empirical methods. Reviews empirical research efforts to date in order to assess the effectiveness of current research directions and methodologies in evaluating earlier propositions. Discusses strengths, weaknesses and directions for future research in each area of manufacturing strategy.