cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Undergraduate nursing program admission criteria: A scoping review of the literature.

Abstract Objective To provide a broad overview of literature related to undergraduate nursing program admission criteria used by faculty and administrators in the United States to predict student program success. Design A scoping review of literature. Review methods Review was guided by the framework for a scoping review suggested by Arksey and O'Malley (2007). Data sources Cinahl; ERIC; Google Scholar; ARHQ; Medline; ProQuest; Sigma Literature Search. Results Thirty-five relevant articles were selected for full review, including 25 published research studies and 10 doctoral theses. Three themes emerged in the charted literature representing criteria used to predict student program success: academic program admission criteria, nonacademic program admission criteria, and admission criteria formulas or scoring systems. The traditional academic criterion of cumulative pre-nursing GPA was the criterion most commonly cited as being used to predict student success in a nursing program. No one criteria or combination of criteria emerged as most predictive of student program success. Conclusion Significant gaps in the literature exist regarding standards or benchmarks for determining program admission criteria, including nonacademic criteria such as CNA status or previous healthcare experience, that adequately predict student success in an undergraduate nursing program.
A Team Competency Framework for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education

The ability to function in multidisciplinary entrepreneurship teams is becoming increasingly important in engineering education. However, research addressing this area is still scarce. To address this gap, we provide a conceptual model of how engineering students can develop team competencies in multidisciplinary entrepreneurship teams, connecting literatures on entrepreneurial and engineering competencies as well as teams. With this conceptual model, we define key team competencies relevant for team-based entrepreneurship programs which is fashioned to align the curricula and help educators to do informed teaching while developing their pedagogical content and exercises.
The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study: Assessing factors associated with owner compliance after the first year of enrollment.

Background The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study (GRLS) is one of the largest canine cohort studies undertaken in the United States to date. This study design allows for evaluation of multiple exposures and outcomes throughout the lifetime of each dog, but relies on participants to comply with study requirements over a long period of time. Failure to do so can lead to biased reporting of results. Objectives To examine factors associated with dog owner compliance for GRLS. Animals Golden Retrievers (n = 3044) whose owners elected to participate in GRLS. Methods Prospective, cohort study. A logistic regression model was constructed to examine associations between data collected at the time of initial enrollment in GRLS and the outcome of failure to fulfill all study obligations at the end of the first year after enrollment in GRLS. Results There were 192 (6.3%) owners who did not comply with study requirements 1 year after enrollment. Owners of dogs without a record of vaccination had nearly 4 times higher odds (adjusted OR: 3.7, 95% CI: 1.5, 9.2) of being noncompliant than owners of vaccinated dogs and owners of dogs that slept in the garage had nearly 6 times higher odds (adjusted OR: 5.7, 95% CI: 1.9, 17.0) of being noncompliant than owners of dogs that slept in their bedroom. Conclusions and clinical importance Survey questions about a dog's sleeping location at night and vaccination status are important indicators of an owner's odds of compliance in a prospective study. Use of similar questions during enrollment in cohort studies might help to predict owner compliance that can aid in subject selection.
Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Observations of the Magellanic Bridge Gas toward Two Early-Type Stars: Molecules, Physical Conditions, and Relative Abundances

We discuss Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) observations of two early-type stars, DI 1388 (l = 2913, b = -411) and DGIK 975 (l = 2873, b = -360), in the low-density and low-metallicity (Z ~ 0.08 Z☉) gas of the Magellanic Bridge (MB). The data have a spectral resolution of about 15,000, and signal-to-noise ratios range between 10 and 30 per resolution element in the spectra of DI 1388 and between 7 and 11 in the spectra of DGIK 975. DI 1388 is situated near the SMC, while DGIK 975 is closer to the LMC, allowing us to probe the MB gas in a widely different locations. Toward DI 1388, the FUSE observations show molecular hydrogen, O VI, and numerous other atomic or ionic transitions in absorption, implying the presence of multiple gas phases in a complex arrangement. The relative abundance (with respect to S II) pattern in the MB along the DI 1388 sight line is attributed to varying degrees of depletion onto dust similar to that of halo clouds. The N/O ratio is near solar, much higher than N/O in damped Lyα systems, implying subsequent stellar processing to explain the origin of nitrogen in the MB. The diffuse molecular cloud in this direction has a low column density and low molecular fraction [log N(H2) ≈ 15.43 dex; fH2 ~ 10-5 to 10-4], yet two excitation temperatures (T01 = 94 K and T23 = 341 K) are needed to fit the distribution of the different rotational levels. Although this is not typically seen in the Galaxy, we show that this is not uncommon in the Magellanic Clouds. H2 is observed in both the Magellanic Stream and the MB, yet massive stars form only in the MB, implying significantly different physical processes between them. In the MB some of the H2 could have been pulled out from the SMC via tidal interaction, but some also could have formed in situ in dense clouds where star formation might have taken place. Toward DGIK 975, the presence of neutral and weakly and highly ionized species suggests that this sight line has also several complex gas phases. The highly ionized species of O VI, C IV, and Si IV toward both stars have very broad features, indicating that multiple components of hot gas at different velocities are present. C IV/O VI varies within the MB, but C IV/Si IV is relatively constant for both sight lines. Several sources (a combination of turbulent mixing layer, conductive heating, and cooling flows) may be contributing to the production of the highly ionized gas in the MB. Finally, this study has confirmed previous results that the high-velocity cloud HVC 291.5-41.2+80 is mainly ionized, composed of weakly and highly ions. The high ion ratios are consistent with a radiatively cooling gas in a fountain flow model.
Financial Institution Executive Compensation: The Problem of Financially Motivated Excessive Risktaking, the Regulatory Response, and Common Sense Solutions

The year 2008 witnessed the greatest economic downturn in over seventy years. Excessive compensation was often cited as a major contributor to the Great Recession. In response, Congress enacted Dodd-Frank, which contains a handful of compensation-related reforms including a clawback for erroneously paid bonuses. However, none of these reforms does anything to address the true link between executive compensation and the Great Recession: compensation plans that encourage excessive risk taking. Under the current state of the law, Dodd-Frank does nothing to stave off a repeat of that disaster. Fortunately, one aspect of Dodd-Frank, Section 956, offers a glimmer of hope. It requires regulators to create rules that prohibit compensation plans at financial institutions that encourage excessive risk taking. Unfortunately, to date, no such rules have been enacted.This Article supplies what Section 956 is currently missing. Because all bonuses are ultimately the result of risk-taking decisions, this Article suggests that all financial institution executive compensation plans must contain an ex ante risk assessment that may defer receipt of the bonus. This delay acts as risk to the executive that he or she may never actually receive the bonus and this risk is proportional to the risk taken by the firm to calculate the bonus in the first place. This Article further suggests an ex ante risk assessment to develop a sliding scale between how much of the bonus must be in cash and how much in equity.If these suggested reforms are implemented financial institution executives would now consider how the risks they take with their firm’s assets directly impact the risks to their own bonuses. The end result would be a reduction in risk at financial institutions and a reduction in the likelihood or severity of the next financial-institution-created economic downturn.
Opportunity or catastrophe? Effect of sea salt on host-parasite survival and reproduction

Seawater intrusion caused by anthropogenic climate change may affect freshwater species and their parasites. While brackish water certainly impacts freshwater systems globally, its impact on disease transmission is largely unknown. This study examined the effect of artificial seawater on host-parasite interactions using a freshwater snail host, Biomphalaria alexandrina, and the human trematode parasite Schistosoma mansoni. Four components were analyzed to evaluate the impact of increasing salinity on disease transmission: snail survival, snail reproduction, infection prevalence, and the survival of the parasite infective stage (cercariae). We found a decrease in snail survival, snail egg mass production, and snail infection prevalence as salinity increases. However, cercarial survival peaked at an intermediate salinity value. Our results suggest that seawater intrusion into freshwaters has the potential to decrease schistosome transmission to humans. Author SummaryClimate change will have numerous impacts on many systems, including host-parasite systems. One mechanism by which climate change with impact host-parasite interactions is by rising sea levels flooding coastal regions, increasing salinity in many freshwaters. Host-parasite interactions are a key component of freshwater ecosystems, but the effects of sea water intrusion on host-parasite dynamics are largely unknown. In this study, we quantify the effects of sea salt concentration on the model host-parasite system, Biomphalaria alexandrina and Schistosoma mansoni. We demonstrate a significant, negative relationship between sea salt concentration and host-parasite survival and reproduction. The increase in freshwater salinity associated with sea level rise has the potential to decrease parasite transmission and disease burden in humans and wildlife. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=120 SRC="FIGDIR/small/446887v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (23K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@529bd5org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@174cc80org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@11e0912org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@e5ab7a_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG
Examining Factors Associated With Farmers' Climate-Adaptive and Maladaptive Actions in the U.S. Midwest

The U.S. Midwest is a major producer of grain, meat, dairy, eggs, and other major agricultural commodities. It has also been increasingly impacted by climate change-related extreme weather over the last decade as droughts, extreme rains, floods, and, most recently, severe derecho have damaged crops, livestock, and livelihoods. Climate and agricultural scientists and other stakeholders are concerned that without major shifts away from degrading practices toward regenerative systems, long-term sustainability will be compromised. We used cumulative logistic regression to analyze data from a 2020 survey of 1,059 Iowa farmers to examine 1) how farmers are adapting to increasingly variable and extreme weather-related to climate change and 2) whether selected factors were associated with different kinds of adaptive (e.g., increased use of cover crops) or potentially maladaptive (e.g., increased use of pesticides) actions. Our results found that many farmers have been taking adaptive and maladaptive actions. Stewardship ethics, attitudes towards adaptive action, and integration in conservation-related networks were consistent, positive predictors of increases in adaptive practices. On the other hand, faith in crop insurance as a coping strategy, farm scale, and other factors were associated with some maladaptive actions, with several positive predictors of adaptation also being positive predictors of maladaptation, use of pesticides, and drainage in particular. This research contributes to the growing literature on climate risk management and adaptation in agricultural landscapes by providing empirical evidence of the factors related to farmers' adaptative and maladaptive actions.
Mesoderm induction and patterning: Insights from neuromesodermal progenitors

The discovery of mesoderm inducing signals helped usher in the era of molecular developmental biology, and today the mechanisms of mesoderm induction and patterning are still intensely studied. Mesoderm induction begins during gastrulation, but recent evidence in vertebrates shows that this process continues after gastrulation in a group of posteriorly localized cells called neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs). NMPs reside within the post-gastrulation embryonic structure called the tailbud, where they make a lineage decision between ectoderm (spinal cord) and mesoderm. The majority of NMP-derived mesoderm generates somites, but also contributes to lateral mesoderm fates such as endothelium. The discovery of NMPs provides a new paradigm in which to study vertebrate mesoderm induction. This review will discuss mechanisms of mesoderm induction within NMPs, and how they have informed our understanding of mesoderm induction more broadly within vertebrates as well as animal species outside of the vertebrate lineage. Special focus will be given to the signaling networks underlying NMP-derived mesoderm induction and patterning, as well as emerging work on the significance of partial epithelial-mesenchymal states in coordinating cell fate and morphogenesis.
Luteinizing hormone: Evidence for direct action in the CNS

This article is part of a Special Issue "SBN 2014". Hormonal dysfunction due to aging, especially during menopause, plays a substantial role in cognitive decline as well as the progression and development of neurodegenerative diseases. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis has long been implicated in changes in behavior and neuronal morphology. Most notably, estrogens have proven beneficial in the healthy brain through a host of different mechanisms. Recently, luteinizing hormone (LH) has emerged as a candidate for further investigation for its role in the CNS. The basis of this is that both LH and the LH receptor are expressed in the brain, and serum levels of LH correlate with cognitive deficits and Alzheimer's disease (AD) incidence. The study of LH in cognition and AD primarily focuses on evaluating the effects of downregulation of this peptide. This literature has shown that decreasing peripheral LH, through a variety of pharmacological interventions, reduces cognitive deficits in ovariectomy and AD models. However, few studies have researched the direct actions of LH on neurons and glial cells. Here we summarize the role of luteinizing hormone in modulating cognition, and we propose a mechanism that underlies a role for brain LH in this process.
Vibrational Population Dynamics in Liquids and Glasses

The temperature dependent vibrational relaxation of the CO stretching mode of rhodium dicarbonyl acetylacetonate (Rh(CO)2(acac)) in dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and tungsten hexacarbonyl (W(CO)6) in 2-methylpentane (2-MP) were measured with IR pump and probe (PP) experiments. The experiments were performed with ∼1.5 ps pulses (spectral width Δv ≈ 12 cm-1) at λ ≈ 5 μm generated by the Stanford superconducting-accelerator-pumped free electron laser (FEL)1 and 10–15 ps pulses (Δv ≈ 2 cm-1) at the same wavelength generated by an LiIO3 optical parametric amplifier (OPA)2. Typical pulse energies used in the experiments were 10 nJ for the probe and 50–100 nJ for the pump. Both beams were focused to a ∼150 μm spot on a liquid cell with 400 μm optical path. The concentrations of the sample solutions were 6 × 10-3 M for Rh(CO)2(acac) and 4×10-3 M for W(C0)6. The differential absorption of the probe beam was measured as a function of the time delay between the pump and the probe pulses. The decay curves of the probe signal were fitted using a single or a double exponential function.
Tetrahydrobiopterin: An Essential Cofactor for Nitric Oxide Synthases and Amino Acid Hydroxylases

This chapter provides an in-depth survey of the current understanding of BH 4 synthesis, regulation, and enzymatic function in health and disease. BH 4 is one of a larger group of molecules known as pteridines, bicyclic molecules characterized by a pyrimidine ring fused to a pyrazine ring. (6R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH 4 ) is an obligate cofactor of nitric oxide (NO) synthases. It plays a redox role in the catalysis of NO formation from L-arginine, O 2 , and NADPH. BH 4 is also a required cofactor for the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases (phenyalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan hydroxylases), although for these enzymes it functions as a redox-active cofactor in a manner that is fundamentally different from its mechanism of use by NO synthases. The fully reduced biopterin BH 4 is capable of both scavenging and generating superoxide radical. Thus, although BH 4 is generally considered to be antioxidant, in some settings it can be pro-oxidant. As both a reducing and oxidizing agent, BH 4 is inherently sensitive to the redox state of the cell, especially when not enzyme-bound. The influence of BH 4 on TH protein levels is explained by an additional role for BH 4 as a molecular chaperone that stabilizes both TH and PAH proteins. Free BH 4 in solution is capable of reducing the catalytic iron in PAH and TH; however, structural studies show that BH 4 bound at the active site does not directly interact with iron.
Quantitative Fit Testing of Respirators: Past, Present, Future

The historical development of quantitative techniques to evaluate the "fit" of a respirator on a particular wearer is reviewed. The inferences drawn from such testing with regard to protection or selection of the "best fitting facepiece" are examined in light of new research data recently obtained from field and laboratory studies. Areas of research for improving quantitative fit testing are identified.
Entry, Divorce and Re-Marriage in Matching Markets

This paper investigates the effect of entry on marriage markets. The paper presents a natural adjustment process for marriage markets and shows that entry on one side of the market makes that side worse off and the other side better off than before entry occurred. An example shows that the adjustment process described by Roth and Vande Vate lacks this property; there may be winners and losers on both sides.
Etiology And Causality

Although talk of causality is ubiquitous in both science and everyday life it is far from clear how we should understand causality. Theories about causality range from those that understand it in terms of regularities to those which understand causation in terms of the exchange of conserved quantities to those which say that the idea of causation is foundational, so it cannot be understood in other terms. Furthermore, especially with regard to the problems of the etiology of psychiatric and psychological disorders, there are concerns over how we should understand the relationship between explanations of behavior in terms of reasons and explanation of behavior in terms of causes. Keywords: cause-and-effect-relationships; empiricism; evidence
Public Environmental Archaeology

Environmental Archaeology: Meaning and Purpose. Umberto Albarella. ed. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001. 324 pp. Environmental Archaeology: Principles and Practice. Dena F. Dincauze. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. 587 pp. Public Benefits of Archaeology. Barbara J. Little. ed. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2002. 277 pp.
Characterization of double potentials in a functionally determined reentrant circuit. Multiplexing studies during interruption of atrial flutter in the canine pericarditis model.

Abstract Objectives . We tested the hypothesis that double potentials recorded during atrial flutter in a functionally determined reentrant circuit reflect activation of the reentrant wave front around an area of functional conduction block. Background . The center of the atrial flutter reentrant circuit in the sterile pericarditis canine model is characterized by double potentials. Methods . We studied 11 episodes of atrial flutter in eight dogs during interruption of atrial flutter while pacing the atria. A multielectrode mapping system was used to record simultaneously from 190 electrodes on the right atrium (location of reentry). Results . Interruption of atrial flutter occurred when the orthodromic wave front from the pacing impulse blocked in an area of slow conduction in the reentrant circuit. The response of the double potential with interruption of atrial flutter depended on the location of the recording site relative to this area of block. Two types of response were seen. When the double potential was recorded orthodromically distal to this area of block, interruption of atrial flutter was associated with disappearance of the second deflection, and continued pacing after interruption of atrial flutter was not associated with reappearance of the second potential. When the double potential was recorded at a site orthodromically proximal to the area of block, interruption of atrial flutter was not associated with disappearance of the second potential, and when rapid atrial pacing was continued, the double potential remained despite disappearance of the atrial flutter reentrant circuit. Conclusions . Double potentials represent functional conduction block in the center of the reentrant circuit, with each deflection of the double potential reflecting activation on either side of the area of functional block. The data also demonstrate that double potentials are not limited to a reentrant circuit, as they were recorded on either side of an area of block in the absence of such a circuit.
Learning spatial-temporal varying graphs with applications to climate data analysis

An important challenge in understanding climate change is to uncover the dependency relationships between various climate observations and forcing factors. Graphical lasso, a recently proposed l1 penalty based structure learning algorithm, has been proven successful for learning underlying dependency structures for the data drawn from a multivariate Gaussian distribution. However, climatological data often turn out to be non-Gaussian, e.g. cloud cover, precipitation, etc. In this paper, we examine nonparametric learning methods to address this challenge. In particular, we develop a methodology to learn dynamic graph structures from spatial-temporal data so that the graph structures at adjacent time or locations are similar. Experimental results demonstrate that our method not only recovers the underlying graph well but also captures the smooth variation properties on both synthetic data and climate data.
ShortCuts: Using soft state to improve DHT routing

Distributed hash tables are increasingly being proposed as the core substrate for content delivery applications in the Internet, such as cooperative Web caches, Web index and search, and content delivery systems. The performance of these applications built on DHTs fundamentally depends on the effectiveness of request routing within the DHT. In this paper, we show how to use soft state to achieve routing performance that approaches the aggressive performance of one-hop schemes, but with an order of magnitude less overhead on average. We use three kinds of hint caches to improve routing latency: local hint caches, path hint caches, and global hint caches. Local hint caches use large successor lists to short cut final hops. Path hint caches store a moderate number of effective route entries gathered while performing lookups for other nodes. And global hint caches store direct routes to peers distributed across the ID space. Based upon our simulation results, we find that the combination of the hint caches significantly improves Chord routing performance: in a network of 4,096 peers, the hint caches enable Chord to route requests with average latencies only 6% more than algorithms that use complete routing tables with significantly less overhead.
Photovoltaic array space power plus diagnostics experiment

The objective is to summarize the five years of hardware development and fabrication represented by the Photovoltaic Array Space Power Plus Diagnostics (PASP Plus) Instrument. The original PASP Experiment requirements and background is presented along with the modifications which were requested to transform the PASP Experiment into the PASP Plus Instrument. The PASP Plus hardware and software is described. Test results for components and subsystems are given as well as final system tests. Also included are appendices which describe the major subsystems and present supporting documentation such as block diagrams, schematics, circuit board artwork, drawings, test procedures and test reports.
Multi-nucleon correlations in Deep Inelastic Scattering at large Bjorken xB

Using realistic nuclear many-body wave functions in the collinear factorization framework, we evaluate nuclear Deep Inelastic Scattering at large Bjorken xB, where correlations are needed to exceed the kinematic limits of a single free nucleon. We find that recent experimental data on cross-section ratios from the CLAS collaboration exhibit features that are not reproduced by modern 2- and 3-nucleon correlations in the nuclear wave function. New physical mechanisms are needed to explain data in the 2<xB<3 range.
Underthrusting and Quaternary faulting in northern Central America

Earthquakes relocated by joint hypo-center determination define an inclined seismic zone in Guatemala and El Salvador approximately 15 km thick. This zone is segmented by one large change of strike and dip and two smaller changes in dip. The inclined seismic zone marks the upper part of the underthrust slab and the discontinuities represent breaks segmenting the slab. The breaks occur in areas where they had been predicted on the basis of abrupt discontinuities in the volcanic chain. Quaternary faulting is dominated by transcurrent fault zones. Left-lateral strike-slip fault zones strike transverse to the arc and coincide with the proposed breaks in the underthrust slab. Right-lateral fault zones strike parallel to the arc and approximately coincide with the volcanic chain. Subsidence of at least 500 m has occurred along the strike of the left-lateral and right-lateral fault zones and created a grid of troughs and depressions. The amount of horizontal movement is about 10 km for the transverse and longitudinal fault zones. These seismic and geologic data suggest a segmented underthrusting process in northern Central America. The wedge of overriding lithosphere and the underthrust slab have transverse structures in the same areas. The left-lateral motion on N30°E-striking transverse faults can be deduced from the segmentation and an increasing rate of plate convergence to the southeast.
Phox2 and dHAND transcription factors select shared and unique target genes in the noradrenergic cell type

The noradrenergic cell type is characterized by the expression of proteins involved in the biosynthesis, transport, and secretion of noradrenaline and is dependent on the sequential and combinatorial expression of numerous transcription factors, including Phox2a, Phox2b, dHAND, GATA2, GATA3, and MASH1. Phox2a and Phox2b transactivate the promoter of the gene encoding the noradrenergic biosynthetic enzyme, dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH), and dHAND potentiates the activity of Phox2a. In this study, we use chromatin immunoprecipitation assays to identify target genes of the Phox2 proteins and dHAND. All three proteins are bound to the DBH and PHOX2B promoter regions in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. The interaction between Phox2a and dHAND is analyzed by fluorescent anisotropy, which demonstrates that dHAND causes an eightfold increase in the affinity of Phox2a for its recognition sites on the DBH promoter region. The Phox2 proteins are not found on the genes encoding other noradrenergic enzymatic or transport proteins but are reciprocally bound to each other’s promoters in SH-SY5Y cells. Together with Phox2a and Phox2b, dHAND is bound to the PHOX2B promoter and is also associated with the GATA2 and eHAND genes in the absence of the Phox2 proteins. These results demonstrate the direct interactions of the Phox2 and dHAND transcription factors within a noradrenergic cell type. The Phox2 proteins were found to share all target genes, whereas dHAND binds to genes independently of Phox2a.
Japanese Response to an Aging Labor Force

Slowing population growth in Japan has led to concern about aging of the labor force in the context of the seniority wage and lifetime employment systems. There is no question that the labor force will age rapidly in the future. However, Japanese labor force institutions are more flexible than most Western observers have thought, and appropriate response to the changing demographic situation has already begun. The Japanese government and private enterprises are devising innovative policies for accommodating an older labor force.
Toward zoöpolis? Innovation and contradiction in a conservation community

The new community of Harmony, Florida stands out in the sustainable community landscape for its commitment to promoting the human–animal bond. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this paper tracks Harmony's development from concept to community, and explores residents' perceptions and experiences of Harmony. Despite contradictions between philosophy and everyday practice, Harmony offers insights into the design of more sustainable communities built around ideals of human–animal coexistence – or “zoopolis”.
Efficient numerical solution of the point kinetics equations in nuclear reactor dynamics

A numerical procedure to efficiently calculate the solution to the point kinetics equation in nuclear reactor dynamics is described and investigated. Piecewise constant approximations of the reactivity and source functions are made. The resulting system of linear differential equations is solved exactly over each time step. The method is proved to converge with order h2 where h is the time step. The procedure is tested using a variety of initial conditions, data, and reactivity functions. The computational results indicate that the method is efficient and accurate.
Transport and magnetization currents in BSCCO/Ag tapes

A (Bi,Pb)SrCaCuO-2223/Ag tape has been produced by thermomechanical processing. Transport critical current densities, J/sub c/'s, have been measured between H=0 and 7 T and T=7 to 75 K. Magnetization currents have been determined for similar temperatures and fields (0 to 5 T) oriented parallel and orthogonal to the thickness of the tape. Dimensional scaling arguments show that flux penetrates most quickly along the tape thickness direction (for fields parallel to the tape plane and therefore the ab planes of the textured BSCCO grains). This implies that the anisotropy ratio of J/sub c/ and J/sub ab/ is reduced in tapes as compared with single crystals, which is consistent with predictions of the brick wall model. The H dependence of the magnetization currents and effective pinning potentials were also measured for similar field orientations. Fast magnetic relaxation causes an exponential field dependence of transport and magnetization currents. Temperature dependences for H/sub 0/ for transport and magnetization measurements are interpreted in terms of different time scales (or voltage criteria). >
Morphological Awareness in Literacy Acquisition of Chinese Second Graders: A Path Analysis

The present study tested a path diagram regarding the contribution of morphological awareness (MA) to early literacy acquisition among Chinese-speaking second graders ( $$N=123$$ ). Three facets of MA were addressed, namely derivational awareness, compound awareness and compound structure awareness. The model aimed to test a theory of causal order among measures of MA and literacy outcomes. Drawing upon multivariate path analysis, direct and indirect effects of MA were analyzed to identify their role in literacy performance among young children. Results revealed that all three facets of MA made significant contributions to lexical inference ability. In addition, compound awareness showed a unique and significant contribution to vocabulary knowledge. It was also observed that lexical inference ability had a mediating effect predictive of both vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. Moreover, vocabulary knowledge mediated the effect of MA on reading comprehension. However, no significant contribution of MA to reading comprehension was found after controlling for lexical inference ability and vocabulary knowledge.
Measuring MEMS through silicon caps

MEMS used in inertial sensors rely on the movement of mechanical elements, generally systems of masses and springs. Shielding these structures from particulate contamination requires encapsulating the MEMS structures. This encapsulation is typically accomplished by placing a silicon cap over the MEMS at the wafer level. In the event the device stops functioning as expected, it is necessary to visually inspect the MEMS structures. However, once the device is capped, the only way to visually inspect the sensor is to remove the cap using a destructive decapsulation process. Fortunately, product analysts can take advantage of the transmissive properties of infrared light through lightly doped silicon to examine MEMS structures through their silicon cap using IR microscopy. Although useful, the image quality of conventional IR microscopy has limitations resulting from the optics, geometry and detectors currently available. Recently, laser confocal microscopy techniques have been adapted to the infrared spectrum, offering improved image clarity and measurement capability. This paper reviews the use of conventional IR microscopy in imaging through silicon caps, the limitations of conventional IR microscopy in this application, and the new capabilities afforded by the use of laser confocal IR microscopy for through-cap imaging.
Light and temperature effects on the oxygen consumption rhythms of the leafcutter bee, Megachile rotundata (Fabr.).

Abstract 1. 1. The effect of light and temperature on the phase and power spectrum of the oxygen consumption rhythm was investigated for the leafcutter bee Megachile rotundata (Fabricius). 2. 2. The oxygen consumption power spectrum appears to shift from predominantly short periods (ultradian) in the immature stages to a circadian period in the adult stage. 3. 3. There was much individual variation in the rhythm spectra of immature bees but none responded to a 12-hr light pulse of 344 lux. 4. 4. Adults showed a strong, stable circadian component under different conditions of light and temperature. 5. 5. Oxygen consumption in M. rotundata could not be entrained to an LD 12 : 12 cycle in either the immature or adult stages. 6. 6. A 12-hr temperature pulse of 15°C did not phase set the oxygen consumption rhythm in the pre-adult stages, but did so in the adults. The rhythm appeared to lock on to the point of temperature rise. 7. 7. The temperature response curve was similar to that of other organisms reported in the literature.
Primary care experiences and preferences of urban youth

Abstract There are few qualitative studies that assess the experiences and preferences of urban youth with regard to use of primary care. The purpose of this pilot survey was to identify positive and negative influences and underlying issues for adolescents leading to seeking and returning for primary health care. Four focus groups totaling 20 diverse adolescents ranging in age from 13 to 21 years were conducted between April 1994 and June 1994. Participants were recruited through existing peer leadership groups that meet regularly at community health centers or after-school programs. Urban adolescents are most concerned with being respected and treated well by primary care providers. They want to be listened to, to have their problems taken seriously, and to be treated with dignity and respect. Participants expressed strong preferences regarding sex, sexual orientation, and language of providers, but not for race or ethnicity. Qualitative methods such as focus groups give a voice to youth to advocate for access to adolescent-specific health services. Further research is needed to corroborate the results of this study, to expand our understanding of existing problems, and to investigate the predictors of health care use by vulnerable youth.
An Instability of Packets of Short Gravity Waves in Waters of Finite Depth

Abstract We consider the stability of a solitary wave packet of short gravity waves propagating in waters of moderate depth. It is shown that such wave packets are unstable to long transverse disturbances. The calculation indicates that steep swell may be more unstable to transverse disturbances when over the continental shelves than in deep waters.
Computational kinetic model of VEGF trapping by soluble VEGF receptor-1: effects of transendothelial and lymphatic macromolecular transport

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signal transduction through the cell surface receptors VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 regulates angiogenesis—the growth of new capillaries from preexistent microvasculature. Soluble VEGF receptor-1 (sVEGFR1), a nonsignaling truncated variant of VEGFR1, has been postulated to inhibit angiogenic signaling via direct sequestration of VEGF ligands or dominant-negative heterodimerization with surface VEGFRs. The relative contributions of these two mechanisms to sVEGFR1's purported antiangiogenic effects in vivo are currently unknown. We previously developed a computational model for predicting the compartmental distributions of VEGF and sVEGFR1 throughout the healthy human body by simulating the molecular interaction networks of the VEGF ligand-receptor system as well as intercompartmental macromolecular biotransport processes. In this study, we decipher the dynamic processes that led to our prior prediction that sVEGFR1, through its ligand trapping mechanism alone, does not demonstrate significant steady-state antiangiogenic effects. We show that sVEGFR1-facilitated tissue-to-blood shuttling of VEGF accounts for a counterintuitive and drastic elevation in plasma free VEGF concentrations after both intramuscular and intravascular sVEGFR1 infusion. While increasing intramuscular VEGF production reduces free sVEGFR1 levels through increased VEGF-sVEGFR1 complex formation, we demonstrate a competing and opposite effect in which increased VEGF occupancy of neuropilin-1 (NRP1) and the corresponding reduction in NRP1 availability for internalization of sVEGFR1 unexpectedly increases free sVEGFR1 levels. In conclusion, dynamic intercompartmental transport processes give rise to our surprising prediction that VEGF trapping alone does not account for sVEGFR1's antiangiogenic potential. sVEGFR1's interactions with cell surface receptors such as NRP1 are also expected to affect its molecular interplay with VEGF.
Toxic shock syndrome in scalded children

Five patients showing clinical signs resembling the 'toxic shock syndrome' presented over a 4-month period at the Wessex Regional Burns Centre. Toxin-producing isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were made from wound swabs in four of the five patients. Four different phage types producing four different toxins were observed. Seven other patients yielded staphylococci from wound swabs but did not develop the toxic shock syndrome. In three of these latter patients the staphylococcus isolated was toxin producing. Since the syndrome carries a significant mortality risk it is desirable that it is recognized and treated without delay. To this end a simplified set of criteria for the identification of probable toxic shock syndrome cases is proposed. The observations suggest that toxic shock syndrome is more common than previously supposed. The syndrome may show a broad spectrum in its clinical presentation, and involve a wide range of staphylococcal phage types with possible involvement of several different enterotoxins.
A numerical study of the effect of hurricane wind asymmetry on storm surge and inundation

The influence of the asymmetric structure of hurricane wind field on storm surge is studied with five types of numerical experiments using a three-dimensional storm surge model. The results from the case of Hurricane Floyd (1999) show that Floyd-induced peak surge would have been much higher had the region of maximum wind rotated 30–90 counterclockwise. The idealized cases (the hypothetical hurricanes) with a wind speed asymmetry of 20 m s � 1 show that the peak (negative) surge varied from 4.7 to 6.0 m (� 5t o� 5.7 m) or equivalent to � 8.8% and 16.3% (2.8% and � 10.4%) differences as compared to the control experiment. The area of flooding varied from 3552 to 3660 km 2 . The results from two other idealized cases of varying degree of wind speed asymmetry further show that with decreasing (increasing) asymmetry of wind fields, the variations of peak surge and peak negative surge caused by the rotation of wind fields decrease (increase) accordingly. The results suggest that in storm surge simulations forced by winds derived from balanced models, considerable uncertainty in storm surge and inundation can result from wind asymmetries. This is true even if all other storm parameters, including maximum wind speed, the radius of maximum winds (storm size), minimum central pressure, storm translation speed, drag coefficient, and model settings (domain size and resolution) are identical. Thus, when constructing ensemble and probabilistic storm surge forecasts, uncertainty in wind asymmetry should be considered in conjunction with variations in storm track, storm intensity and size.
Site-directed mutagenesis

Much of what neurons do they do with proteins. From functional studies we learn how these proteins operate, and from chemical and molecular biological research we learn about their molecular structures. But how are studies of structure and function to be connected? One promising new approach probes structure/function relationships by investigating the implications of precise alterations in structure for function; this approach uses ‘site-directed mutagenesis’, a genetic engineering method that permits single, specific amino acid residues to be altered, at will, in an entire protein.
Comparison of cerebral regional metabolism of [14C]leucine following third ventricle and intravenous administration in the cat.

— In the cat, intraventricularly injected [14c]leucine does not appear to penetrate into the cerebral tissue, whereas intravenously injected [14c]leucine readily penetrates the blood-brain barrier. The latter route of administration of [14c]leucine produces rather uniform distribution of radioactivity in cortical and subcortical regions as well as diencephalic, lower brain stem, and cerebellar regions. Data consistent with compartmentation of the glutamate-glutamine system were observed in all regions except the cerebellum and head of the caudate nucleus. In the latter two areas, the ratios of the specific activity of glutamine to glutamic acid was less than 1, whereas in all other areas it was greater than 1. The turnover rate of the brain protein was fastest in the cerebellum and neocortex and slowest in the caudate nucleus and in the pons and medulla.
Precision neutron diffraction structure determination of protein and nucleic acid components. IV. The crystal and molecular structure of the amino acid L-histidine.

A neutron diffraction study of orthorhombic L-histidine, C6H9N3O2, has been carried out. The structure belongs to space group P212121, with four molecules per unit cell. Cell parameters are: a = 5.175 (5) A, b = 7.315 (8) A and c = 18.75 (2) A. A total of 618 unique reflections were used in the least-squares refinement leading to a final conventional R-value of 5.8%. The atomic coordinates found for the non-hydrogen atoms agree well with those from a previous X-ray study (1). The molecule is in the zwitterion form, and the molecular conformation is stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bond between an ammonium group hydrogen and the imidazole group and an electrostatic interaction between an ammonium group hydrogen and a carboxyl oxygen. The N-Cα-C-O2group is found to be nonplanar. Distances between non-hydrogen atoms and the distances in the ammonium group have been corrected for rigid-body motion. The molecules are bonded together by hydrogen bonds to form chains in the c-axis direction of the crystal. There is no protonation of the imidazole ring.
Exonerating Corporate Executives

Federal investigator William K. Black has had enough of economists' flimsy defense of business power. In this brief piece, he takes on Times columnist Tyler Cowen for his rationalizations of business behavior.
Estimating system reliability with correlated component failures

Correlated component failures, recognised to be a major impediment in the power of redundancy to improve system reliability, need to be factored into the reliability assessment of fault-tolerant systems. In this paper, we present a methodology to derive an approximate analytical expression for mean reliability of on-demand systems with correlated failures. Applying the methodology, we derive expressions for the mean reliability of common redundant structures, namely, k-out-of-n, series-parallel and bridge systems. We illustrate the potential of these expressions to systematically assess the influence of pairwise component correlations on system reliability. An examination of the error between the system reliability estimates obtained from the analytical expressions to those obtained from simulations indicates that our method accurately captures the trends in system reliability and can hence provide a computationally faster alternative to simulation for system reliability analysis.
Characterization of the unique intron - exon junctions of Euglena gene(s) encoding the polyprotein precursor to the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b binding protein of photosystem II

Abstract The precursor to the Euglena light harvesting chlorophyll a/b binding protein of photosystem II (LHCPII) is a polyprotein containing multiple copies of LHCPII covalently joined by a decapeptide linker. cDNA and genomic clones encoding the 5' and 3' end of a 6.6 kb LHCPII mRNA were sequenced. A 3.1 kb genomic region encoding 1.05 kb of the 5' end of LHCPII mRNA contains 4 introns. A 7.6 kb genomic region encoding 3.3 kb of the 3' end of LHCPII mRNA contains 10 introns. The 5' and 3' ends of the 14 identified Euglena introns lacked the conserved dinucleotides (5'-GT and AG-3') found at the termini of virtually every characterized nuclear pre-mRNA intron. A common consensus splice site selection sequence could not be identified. The Euglena introns do not have the structural characteristics of group I and group II introns. The only structural feature common to all Euglena introns was the ability of short stretches of nucleotides at the 5' and 3' ends of the introns to base pair, forming a stable stem-loop with the 5' and 3' splice site juxtaposed for splicing but displaced by 2 nucleotides. The 26 nucleotide sequence at the 5' end of LHCPII mRNA is absent from the genomic sequence and identical to the 5' end of one of the small Euglena SL-RNAs indicating that it is post-transcriptionally added by trans-splicing.