cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Life Course and Network Advantage: Peak Periods, Turning Points, and Transition Ages

This chapter examines the association between network position and achievement and whether this association varies over age. Are there certain peak periods in a manager's life when network advantage is more valuable? How are those peak periods visible as transitions in the networks providing advantage? How is the achievement associated with network advantage contingent on peak periods? The chapter provides illustrative answers to these questions using data on senior managers in banking, financial services, engineering, human resources, software, and supply chain. Returns to network advantage vary with manager age. Network models of advantage do not need to be re-defined to take peak periods into account, but organization-specific norms about age and aging are a factor to bear in mind when predicting achievement in a specific organization.
The Professoriate in International Perspective

The international professoriate consists of the world’s teachers, researchers, and scholars who are employed by universities, schools, colleges, centers, and institutes as the primary academic staff of higher education institutions. The size and scope of the international professoriate, mirroring the role played by higher education in the social organization of societies throughout the world, has changed tremendously in the last quarter-century. The present work reviews major recent efforts to study the professoriate comparatively. The elemental theoretic foundations of comparative study of the professoriate are examined, which includes both classic and contemporary formulations. Guiding theoretic ideas and puzzles are identified, including center and periphery, convergence and differentiation, growth and accretion. The review considers four clusters of major topical forays, representing both empirical and analytic work on the contemporary international professoriate. The clusters of work include academic freedom; contracts and compensation; career structures and roles; and an account of a recent surge of survey research exemplified by the “Changing Academic Profession” project. Taking stock of the current situation of work, the review concludes by explaining three elements, gleaned from examples of outstanding scholarship of the past, that are essential to preserving a future for important comparative inquiry on the professoriate.
Optimization — A Many Splendored Thing —

This is the printed and updated version of the plenary lecture that was given in a PowerPoint presentation form at the 1999 IFAC Congress by the author. By viewing the slides with their accompanying text, one can get an approximation of the spoken lecture. However, animation and color information of the presentation are lost. Reader can consult http://www.hrl.harvard.edu/ ho for more information. Since this lecture is primarily of an informal survey nature, we emphasize conceptual unification and understanding rather than scholarly exactness.
Chromosome counts inCalea (Asteraceae-Heliantheae)

Chromosome numbers are reported for six taxa ofCalea, among them tetraploidC. septuplinervia, the only known polyploid inCalea s. str. The base chromosome number ofCalea is interpreted as x = 19.
Dizziness spells: Should one suspect the pacemaker?

Abstract A 52-year-old lady presented to the emergency department with recurrent episodes of dizziness and near-syncope on awakening up or swinging her left arm. Initial rhythm strip s demonstrated intermittently non-conducted p waves corresponding to inappropriate pacemaker inhibition and oversensing malfunction. Pacemaker was interrogated in the ED showing ventricular lead noise and decreased lead impedance over a one year period. The patient was diagnosed with pacemaker lead failure supported by correlating pacemaker lead variation with homolateral arm movement. The patient was referred to an electrophysiologist and underwent new right ventricular lead placement with the resolution of symptoms.
Effect of axial diffusion on impurity adsorption in a circular tube

Circular tubes can be used to irreversibly adsorb impurities from a dilute solution of the impurity and a non-adsorbing fluid. An analysis of the unsteady adsorption process over the region $$z = - \infty $$ to $$z = \infty $$ can be carried out with or without axial diffusion. The transport equation in the presence of axial diffusion can be solved using the complex Fourier transform and the Green’s function method. In the absence of axial diffusion, the transport equation can be solved using the Laplace transform method. Previously reported studies over the region $$0\le z\le L$$ limited the contribution of axial diffusion. Analytical solutions of the pertinent differential equations are used to determine the impurity concentration everywhere in the circular tube.
Abstract WP544: Dynamic Cerebral Autoregulation is Impaired in the First Week Postpartum in Women With and Without Preeclampsia

Introduction: Pregnancy, especially when complicated by preeclampsia (PEC), is associated with increased stroke risk in the early postpartum period. Impaired cerebral autoregulation may play a role...
Handgrip Strength of World Trade Center (WTC) Responders: The Role of Re-Experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms.

Background: This study sought to examine whether handgrip strength (HGS), a measure of muscle strength and a biomarker of aging, was associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a cohort of World Trade Center (WTC) responders at midlife. Methods: HGS was assessed utilizing a computer-assisted hand dynamometer administered to a consecutive sample of men and women (n = 2016) who participated in rescue and recovery efforts following the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks and subsequently attended monitoring appointments in Long Island, NY. PTSD symptom severity and depressive symptoms were assessed using the PTSD specific-trauma checklist (PCL-S) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). General linear models were used to examine the association of WTC-related PTSD with HGS after adjusting for confounders. Results: The sample was at midlife (mean age = 53.3) when assessed, and 91.3% were men. Nearly 10% of the sample had probable PTSD (PCL ≥ 44) with concomitant depression (PHQ ≥ 10), while 5.1% had probable PTSD without depression. Average HGS was 57.4 lbs. (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 56.6–58.1) among men and 36.1 lbs. (95% CI = 33.8–38.5) among women. Mean HGS of those with probable PTSD with concomitant depression was lower (45.9 lbs., 95% CI = 43.6–48.2) than responders with only PTSD (49.1 lbs., 95% CI = 46.0–52.4) and those without PTSD or depression (57.5 lbs., 95% CI = 56.2–57.8). Subdomain analyses of PTSD symptoms revealed that re-experiencing symptoms at enrollment (p = 0.003) was associated with lower HGS after adjusting for depressive symptoms and other confounders. Discussion: Results suggested that higher WTC-related PTSD symptom severity was associated with lower HGS. Results support ongoing work suggesting that PTSD may be associated with more rapid physical aging. The potential for developing interventions that might simultaneously improve physical and mental health in the aftermath of trauma may be considered.
Leveraging the Power of Observations: Locating the Sources of Error in the Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Given the variable nature of early childhood settings, practitioners and researchers need better guidance on what conditions influence observations conducted within early...
Wireless Sensor Network–Based Structural Health Monitoring of Bridges Using Advanced Signal Processing Techniques

Continuous growth in the networks of roads and bridges pose a continuously rising challenge to maintenance agencies for ensuring accident-free operations of transportation network. This challenge exacerbates in developing economies. Specifically, in port/harbor areas, the challenge increases many folds because of the corrosive environment. Assessment of aging civil infrastructure integrity is imperative to guarantee safe operations. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) offer reliable and cost-effective automated applications for structural health monitoring (SHM) of civil infrastructure. This article presents a vibration analysis–based method for SHM of civil infrastructures using WSNs. In the proposed research work, advanced signal processing techniques are applied on actual vibration data acquired using low-power WSNs to classify healthy and degraded civil structures. The proposed scheme has successfully been implemented on a 20-year-old concrete bridge situated in the harbor area of Karachi, Pakistan. Micro electro mechanical system–based accelerometers connected to low-power–consuming wireless nodes are installed on the bridge under study. The acquired vibration data are uploaded on the cloud. Subsequent application of time-frequency energy analysis of the recorded vibration data enabled the discrimination between healthy and degraded structures. The proposed scheme can be used for civil infrastructure monitoring at remote sites using low-power WSNs with the least intervention.
Disentangling Neoliberalism from Leadership Education: Critical Approaches to Leadership Learning and Development in Higher Education

ABSTRACTIdeological commitments to neoliberalism have re-shaped demo-cratic institutions. Situating public higher education as an institution of democracy, this article identiﬁes and unpacks the wa...
Carbene-based Difluoromethylation of Bisphenols: Application to the Instantaneous Tagging of Bisphenol A in Spiked Soil for Its Detection and Identification by Electron Ionization Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

The rapid and efficient difluoromethylation of a panel of eleven bisphenols (BPs) for their enhanced detection and identification by Electron-Ionization Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (EI-GC-MS) is presented. The derivatization employs the inexpensive, environmentally benign agent diethyl (bromodifluoromethyl) phosphonate (DBDFP) as a difluorocarbene-generating species that converts the BPs into bis-difluoromethylated ethers that can be detected and identified by GC-MS means. Key attributes of the protocol include its extreme rapidity (30 seconds) at ambient temperature, high specificity for BPs amidst other alcohol-containing analytes, and its biphasic nature that allows for its convenient adaptation to the analysis of BPs in organic as well as aqueous matrices. The protocol furnishes stable, novel BP ethers armed with a total of four fluorine atoms for their subsequent analysis by EI-GC-MS. Furthermore, each derivatized bisphenol exhibits unique retention times vastly different from their native counterparts leading to their unequivocal identification. The effectiveness and robustness of the developed methodology was applied to the tagging of the most famous member of this family of compounds, bisphenol-A (BPA), when spiked (at 1 μg.g−1 concentration) in the physically and compositionally complex Nebraska EPA standard soil. The method detection limit (MDL) for the bis-difluoromethylated BPA was determined to be 0.01 μg.mL−1. The bis-difluoromethylated BPA was conveniently detected on the organic layers from the biphasic, derivatized mixtures, highlighting the protocol’s practicality and utility in the rapid, qualitative detection of this endocrine disruptor during environmental analysis.
On One Hand: The Optical Sensing of Enantiomeric Excess

Download : Download high-res image (220KB) Download : Download full-size image Matt graduated from DeMatha Catholic High School in 2005. He earned his BS degree in chemistry at Texas Southern University while simultaneously playing college football. After spending 2 years as a high school chemistry teacher and coach, he decided to deepen his understanding of the universe by studying chemistry in graduate school. In 2017, he earned his PhD in chemistry from Rice University under the advisement of Zach Ball. From there, he went on to do his postdoctoral research under the tutelage of Eric Anslyn. Matt is now an assistant professor of chemistry at Prairie View A&M University.
Chapter 70 – Dermaptera: (Earwigs)

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses dermaptera insects, which comprises a small, relatively old, hemimetabolous order of insects characterized in their external anatomy by paired cerci (forceps) at the posterior end, and short tegmina incompletely covering hind wings that are also unique structurally. Behaviorally, earwigs are thigmotactic, nocturnal, and subsocial, in a system whereby the female parent broods, grooms, and defends eggs and young nymphs. Some earwig species are wingless as adults, but most have short front wings (tegmina) that do not cover the abdomen. The derivation of the name “dermaptera”refers to the thickened or skin-like front wings. The hind wings are unlike those of any other group of insects: they are semicircular and membranous, with radially arranged veins. They fold fan-like beneath the front pair when the insects are at rest. Earwigs are harmless to humans: they carry no known pathogens of humans, and their mouthparts are incapable of biting humans. Some genera are repeatedly reported as a pest of homes, gardens, and orchards. Their thigmotactic nature, coupled with (known and suspected) aggregation pheromones, can lead to high densities of earwigs in and around homes. In gardens, earwigs may attack seedlings and soft fruit. Management in backyard gardens can be accomplished by persistent trapping in bamboo tubes, rolled-up newspaper, or low-sided cans filled with vegetable oil.
A non-canonical role for the DNA glycosylase NEIL3 in suppressing APE1 endonuclease-mediated ssDNA damage

The DNA glycosylase NEIL3 has been implicated in DNA repair pathways including the base excision repair and the interstrand cross-link repair pathways via its DNA glycosylase and/or AP lyase activity, which are considered canonical roles of NEIL3 in genome integrity. Compared with the other DNA glycosylases NEIL1 and NEIL2, Xenopus laevis NEIL3 C terminus has two highly conserved zinc finger motifs containing GRXF residues (designated as Zf-GRF). It has been demonstrated that the minor AP endonuclease APE2 contains only one Zf-GRF motif mediating interaction with single-strand DNA (ssDNA), whereas the major AP endonuclease APE1 does not. It appears that the two NEIL3 Zf-GRF motifs (designated as Zf-GRF repeat) are dispensable for its DNA glycosylase and AP lyase activity; however, the potential function of the NEIL3 Zf-GRF repeat in genome integrity remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate evidence that the NEIL3 Zf-GRF repeat was associated with a higher affinity for shorter ssDNA than one single Zf-GRF motif. Notably, our protein–protein interaction assays show that the NEIL3 Zf-GRF repeat but not one Zf-GRF motif interacted with APE1 but not APE2. We further reveal that APE1 endonuclease activity on ssDNA but not on dsDNA is compromised by a NEIL3 Zf-GRF repeat, whereas one Zf-GRF motif within NEIL3 is not sufficient to prevent such activity of APE1. In addition, COMET assays show that excess NEIL3 Zf-GRF repeat reduces DNA damage in oxidative stress in Xenopus egg extracts. Together, our results suggest a noncanonical role of NEIL3 in genome integrity via its distinct Zf-GRF repeat in suppressing APE1 endonuclease-mediated ssDNA breakage.
Adiabaticity Criteria in Biomolecular Reactions

There is a frustrating psychological complementarity presented to the physical scientist trying to understand biomolecular reactions. Ultimately one desires a complete mental picture of the atomic scale events involved in a reaction. On the other hand one seeks an understanding sufficiently general that one can see that only a few details matter. If this is possible, sweeping predictions can be made and simple experimental correlations can be adduced. Until a few years ago the first goal seemed the more quixotic but with the advent of computer simulations of biomolecules [1] and a variety of laboratory dynamical probes [2] such a picture seems almost in reach. It is now an appropriate time to ask which details of molecular motion will surface in determining overall reaction kinetics. This question has occupied many condensed matter theorists in recent years [3], most of this attention focussing on simple isomerization reactions in liquids. In many biological reactions another feature enters, namely the comparative role of electronic dynamics and molecular motion. The erudite way of saying this is, “which is more appropriate: an adiabatic or nonadiabatic description of reactions?” This issue was hotly debated eight years ago at another meeting here in Philadelphia [4]. In this lecture I would like to indicate how this issue of adiabaticity criteria is related to the issue of molecular motion in biomolecules. Indeed a simple “Gedankentheorie” shows how the electronic motion can act as a clock for the molecular motion.
Management Strategies for Borderline and Narcissistic Personality Disorders in Dermatology Practice: A Review

Dermatologists are often ill-equipped to promptly identify and manage patients with personality disorders. Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and narcissistic personality disorder ...
Ten questions concerning occupant health in buildings during normal operations and extreme events including the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, people spent on average around 90% of their time indoors. Now more than ever, with work-from-home orders in place, it is crucial that we radically rethink the design and operation of buildings. Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) directly affects the comfort and well-being of occupants. When IEQ is compromised, occupants are at increased risk for many diseases that are exacerbated by both social and economic forces. In the U.S. alone, the annual cost attributed to sick building syndrome in commercial workplaces is estimated to be between $10 billion to $70 billion. It is imperative to understand how parameters that drive IEQ can be designed properly and how buildings can be operated to provide ideal IEQ to safeguard health. While IEQ is a fertile area of scholarship, there is a pressing need for a systematic understanding of how IEQ factors impact occupant health. During extreme events, such as a global pandemic, designers, facility managers, and occupants need pragmatic guidance on reducing health risks in buildings. This paper answers ten questions that explore the effects of buildings on the health of occupants. The study establishes a foundation for future work and provides insights for new research directions and discoveries.
Possession is Nine-Tenths of the Law: Why Wife-Beaters Are Awarded Child Custody in China's Divorce Courts

Domestic violence allegations are pervasive in divorce petitions filed by women seeking to divorce their husbands in China's courts. In China, formal legal protections against domestic violence are unimportant to the judges who decide the fates of women seeking their help. Women who flee marital violence often lose their children in the divorce process to the men who abused them because victims of domestic violence are far less likely to have physical possession of their children. When determining child custody, judges are supposed to consider the best interests of children. In practice, however, their impulse is to preserve the status quo. By tending to grant child custody to the parent who has physical possession of the child, judges reward the bad behaviour of perpetrators of domestic violence, punish victims of domestic violence who are forced to escape their abusers, and jeopardize the safety of the very women and children whose interests they are responsible for protecting.
“Woman” in Cultural Reconstruction Since 1989

This chapter interrogates the cultural construction of “woman” across all 30 countries of the region as present in current legal codes. Through a content analysis of the national constitutions across this region, Pearce and Saville compare the verbiage of laws that mention women and gender, as a window into women’s subject position(s) in current political cultures. The results represent a mix of nation-based legal cultures, international “rights” norms, and feminist ideals. The chapter highlights similarities and differences between countries and concludes with observations on the place of these changing constitutions within the culture wars over gender.
Trends and Variation in the Use of Observation Stays at Children's Hospitals.

BACKGROUND Observation status could improve efficiency of healthcare resource use but also might shift financial burdens to patients and hospitals. Although the use of observation stays has increased for adult patient populations, the trends are unknown among hospitalized children. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to describe recent trends in observation stays for pediatric populations at children's hospitals. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Both observation and inpatient stays for all conditions were retrospectively studied using the Pediatric Health Information System database (2010 to 2019). EXPOSURE, MAIN OUTCOMES, AND MEASURES Patient type was classified as inpatient or observation status. Main outcomes included annual percentage of observation stays, annual percentage of observation stays having prolonged length of stay (>2 days), and growth rates of observation stays for the 20 most common conditions. Risk adjusted hospital-level use of observation stays was estimated using generalized linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS The percentage of observation stays increased from 23.6% in 2010 to 34.3% in 2019 (P < .001), and the percentage of observation stays with prolonged length of stay rose from 1.1% to 4.6% (P < .001). Observation status was expanded among a diverse group of clinical conditions; diabetes mellitus and surgical procedures showed the highest growth rates. Adjusted hospital-level use ranged from 0% to 67% in 2019, indicating considerable variation among hospitals. CONCLUSION Based on the increase in observation stays, future studies should explore the appropriateness of observation care related to efficient use of healthcare resources and financial implications for hospitals and patients.
Simultaneous immobilization of aqueous co-contaminants using a bismuth layered material.

Abstract The remediation of co-located contaminants in the vadose zone can be challenging due to accessibility and responses of different contaminants to remedial actions. At the Hanford Site (WA, USA), multiple radionuclides and other hazardous contaminants are present in the vadose zone and groundwater, including iodine-129 (I), technetium-99 (Tc), uranium-238 (U), chromium (Cr), and nitrate (NO3−). We evaluated a layered Bi oxyhydroxide material for its potential to remove individual and co-located contaminants with a series of batch experiments that investigated a range of plume conditions, followed by solid phase characterization of the reacted bismuth material. The results demonstrated successful removal of four contaminants (>98% removal of I, Tc, U, and Cr from the aqueous phase after 30 days) when tested individually. When contaminants were combined, a slight decrease in Tc removal occurred (−6%p). The addition of sediment decreased the removal for Tc and I, but U and Cr removal was unaffected. The results of these batch tests demonstrated that the bismuth based oxy-hydroxide material is a promising material for sequestering multiple contaminants in situ.
Vitamin D and Lupus: Are we doing enough?

The aim of this study is to identify rheumatology practice care gaps in evaluating for vitamin D deficiency in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as well as adherence to vitamin D replacement in SLE patients currently on corticosteroid therapy. Data for this study were collected from the Southern California Lupus Registry in addition to data extraction from medical health records. Evaluation of serum vitamin D level within 6 months of patient encounter, current or prior use of systemic corticosteroids, and vitamin D replacement in patients receiving corticosteroid therapy were noted. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25(OH)D3 less than 30 ng/ml. Of 182 patients in the cohort, data were available for 176. Evaluation of vitamin D deficiency was noted in 49 patients (28%), 27 (55%) of whom had abnormal values. Current corticosteroid use was noted in 56 (32%) patients and prior use in 73 (41%). Vitamin D replacement was prescribed to 30 (54%) patients with current corticosteroid use. In an academic rheumatology clinic, we have identified underevaluation for vitamin D deficiency in SLE patients despite increasing awareness of its contribution to disease activity. Further, routine supplementation of vitamin D is particularly lacking in individuals receiving systemic corticosteroids. This presents a practical opportunity for improvement in SLE clinical care.
Childhood Cancer Survivors and Distance Education Challenges: Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective Pediatric cancer survivors have historically struggled to receive adequate educational supports. In Spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced an emergency switch from traditional in-person education models to distance education, but little information is available regarding experiences of pediatric survivors' coping with schooling since that time. Methods This article presents exploratory mixed methods findings from a quality improvement project including qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey conducted with parents of pediatric oncology survivors identified through neuropsychological assessment, and the use of school-based services as having educationally relevant neurocognitive impacts of disease or treatment. The interviews explored experiences of education and instructional delivery during the COVID-19 school closures in spring of 2020 and the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year and served as the foundation for a quantitative survey to determine the generalizability of findings. Results Qualitative interviews highlighted 3 emergent themes regarding the shared experiences of distance schooling for children with cancer during the COVID-19 school closures: (a) attention, (b) mental health, and (c) access to instruction. A follow-up quantitative survey supported the qualitative findings and their generalizability to the schooling experiences of other children with cancer during the pandemic. Conclusion This article describes and explores each theme and offers suggestions for pediatric supports and changes to provider service delivery (including weblinks to access project-developed resources) as a result of ongoing pandemic-related schooling needs.
Mapping Trauma and Its Wake : Autobiographic Essays by Pioneer Trauma Scholars

Figley, Introduction. Burgess, Putting Trauma on the Radar Screen. Danieli, It Was Always There. Figley, From Veterans of War to War to Veterans of Terrorism: My Maps of Trauma. Friedman, Making it up as I Went Along. Herman, My Life and Work. Horowitz, A Life in but Not Under Stress. Kolb, Fully Primed. Krystal, Psychoanalytic Approaches to Trauma: A Forty-year Retrospective. Lifton, Some Reflections. Ochberg, There is Reason in Action. Raphael, Life, Trauma, and Loss. Solomon, Choices Made, Promises Kept. Terr, Memoirs of a Childhood Trauma Hunter. Ursano, Autobiographical Essay. Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brief Autobiography of Bessel van der Kolk. Weisaeth, Becoming a Psychotraumatologist. Wilson, From Crisis Intervention to Bosnia: The Trauma Maps of John P. Wilson.
Acceptance of Response Cost Methods: Teachers' and Psychologists' Reactions

Teachers' and psychologists' ratings of three classroom interventions, a token economy, a response cost, and a response cost lottery, were compared under two levels of implementation support. The Behavior Intervention Rating Scale (BIRS), a measure of treatment acceptability and perceived effectiveness, was the major dependent measure. A directed inquiryquestionnaire provided additional information concerning interventions and amount of implementation support. Results of a multivariate analysis demonstrated a significant effect for the within subject variable of intervention, however, there were no differences between the two professional groups or amount of support provided. Univariate analysis indicated all three factors of the BIRS were significant for the method variable. Specifically, Scheffe's post hoc procedure indicated the token economy intervention was rated more acceptable and effective than the two variants of response cost. Chi Square analysis of directed inquiry questions indicated response ...
Quantum phases of Bose-Einstein condensates with synthetic spin-orbital-angular-momentum coupling

The experimental realization of emergent spin-orbit coupling through laser-induced Raman transitions in ultracold atoms paves the way for exploring novel superfluid physics and simulating exotic many-body phenomena. A recent proposal with the use of Laguerre-Gaussian lasers enables another fundamental type of coupling between spin and orbital angular momentum (SOAM) in ultracold atoms. We hereby study quantum phases of a realistic Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with this synthetic SOAM coupling in a disk-shaped geometry, respecting radial inhomogeneity of the Raman coupling. We find that the experimental system naturally resides in a strongly interacting regime in which the phase diagram significantly deviates from the single-particle picture. The interplay between SOAM coupling and interaction leads to rich structures in spin-resolved position and momentum distributions, including a stripe phase and various types of immiscible states. Our results would provide a guide for an experimental investigation of SOAM-coupled BECs.
A Comprehensive Policy Analysis of and Recommendations for Senior Center Gambling Trips

Gambling is one of the fastest growing industries in America. Public support is high for legalized gambling among all age groups. Because gambling is growing in popularity as an activity among those 65 and over, many senior centers are beginning to offer group trips to casinos and other gambling attractions such as dog tracks. This paper analyzes senior center casino gambling trips, with particular attention to the number of trips offered, how trips are funded, the policy implications of offering trips, and policy alternatives for state and local policymakers. Data for the study come from personal interviews with activity directors of 16 senior centers across Massachusetts and a formal survey of 30 additional senior centers in Central Massachusetts. Benefits of a new policy option, a public education strategy, are also reviewed.
The Origin of Monasticism in Mesopotamia

A student of the history of Oriental Christianity is particularly fascinated by the role Syrian monasticism has played, not only in the religious, ecclesiastical, spiritual, literary, and cultural life of the Christian Syrians, but also far outside the confines of the territory of Aramean Christianity. To be sure, Syrian monasticism has been exaggeratedly ascetic. But paradoxically, the same psyche which has passionately longed for mortification and relentless chastisement has showed a remarkable flexibility. It has released energies to direct them towards various tasks which serve the Christian community, proving its sympathetic and even warm participation in the multifarious responsibilities of human life. Its missionary activities, zeal and enthusiasm to reach faraway countries are well-known. Its achievements, particularly in Eastern Asia, are admirable. What the bilingual monument of Si-nganfu has immortalized is only one luminary among other achievements which probably have not been carved in stone so explicitly. Other aspects are no less important. In one study I have already sketched the profile of Syrian monasticism in the light of philanthropic activities in Mesopotamia and Persia. I have also had the opportunity to show its share in the history of education and schools, learning and literary life, and even in the history of the New Testament text. The traces which have been left behind are not traces in sand, but have been carved in human hearts. These traces are still visible to anyone who studies the history, literature and mythology of the nations in Middle and Eastern Asia. These are only the most important aspects amongst others, which depict peculiar features in the physiognomy of Syrian monasticism.
Phenotypic Characteristics and Diagnoses of Patients Referred to an Iron Overload Clinic

Background There are limited data on the phenotypic differences between patients with hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) and other forms of iron overload.
The dependent tax exemption, abortion availability, and US fertility rates

The impact of the personal income tax dependent exemption, abortion availability, and other factors on fertility rates is analyzed. US time series data for 1915–88 are used in the empirical model. The results indicate that greater abortion availability in the USA is associated with lower fertility. A higher value of the dependent exemption generally is associated with higher fertility, but the magnitude and significance of the effect is sensitive to specification choice. The results suggest that restricting abortion availability in the USA will increase the fertility rate, but a change in the tax value of the dependent exemption will have a less predictable impact on fertility.
Nonhuman primate models of atherosclerosis: Potential for the study of diabetes mellitus and hyperinsulinemia

Nonhuman primates have been used for many years to investigate the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis. The use of these animal models has resulted in a better understanding of the risk factors associated with atherosclerosis. Nonhuman primates that have consumed an atherogenic diet for several years develop lesions that are comparable to those found in human beings. Diabetes, both spontaneous and chemically induced, has been described in a number of nonhuman primate species. These diabetic models may be used to understand the accelerated progression and vascular complications of atherosclerosis in diabetic human beings.
Solid-Phase Microextraction-Based Approach To Determine Free-Base Nicotine in Trapped Mainstream Cigarette Smoke Total Particulate Matter

Characterizing nicotine delivery from tobacco products is important in the understanding of their addictive potential. Most previous studies report total nicotine and have not differentiated between nicotine in its protonated or free-base form. Rather than simply determining total nicotine, the method described in this paper determines the amount of free-base nicotine associated with trapped mainstream smoke particulate matter generated using a standardized smoking machine protocol. This method quantitatively determines volatile free-base nicotine associated with the particulate phase portion of mainstream cigarette smoke using solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The headspace above total particulate matter from mainstream cigarette smoke trapped on a Cambridge filter pad (CFP) was analyzed for free-base nicotine in 26 cigarette brands. The selected cigarette brands were chosen to cover a wide range of tar and nicotine deliveries as measured under Federal Trade Commission machine smoking conditions. In the CFP's headspace the free-base nicotine levels ranged from 0.01 to 0.08 mg/cigarette. The measured ranges of free-base nicotine were remarkably similar over the different tar and nicotine delivery categories of full-flavored, light, and ultralight cigarette brands.
Signal Processing for the NaI(Tl) Crystal Box Detector at LAMPF

A large aperture, modular NaI(Tl) detector, the Crystal Box, with 396 independent crystal modules is now in operation at LAMPF. Electronics matched to the excellent energy and time resolutions provided by this detector for y rays and electrons has been built and tested, and is described in this paper. Included are base circuit design, photomultiplier (PMT) signal distribution, energy and time measurement, provision of logic signals, and the control of data acquisition and preliminary data processing by a group of small computers.
THEORY OF THE OPTICAL CONDUCTIVITY IN THE CUPRATE SUPERCONDUCTORS

We present a study of the normal-state optical conductivity in the cuprate superconductors using the nearly antiferromagnetic Fermi-liquid (NAFL) description of the magnetic interaction between their planar quasiparticles. We find that the highly anisotropic scattering rate in different regions of the Brillouin zone, both as a function of frequency and temperature, a benchmark of NAFL theory, leads to an average relaxation rate of the marginal Fermi-liquid form for overdoped and optimally doped systems, as well as for underdoped systems at high temperatures. We carry out numerical calculations of the optical conductivity for several compounds for which the input spin-fluctuation parameters are known. Our results, which are in agreement with experiment on both overdoped and optimally doped systems, show that NAFL theory explains the anomalous optical behavior found in these cuprate superconductors.
Successful modified Fontan procedure in an adolescent after left pneumonectomy

We performed a Waterston's anastomosis on a patient with complicated tricuspid atresia when she was two months of age. At age 14 years she required left pneumonectomy for massive, idiopathic hemoptysis. Four months after the pneumonectomy we substituted a modified Fontan anastomosis for the Waterston anastomosis. Restudy when she was 17 years of age showed continued satisfactory function.
Bridging Converts a Noncytotoxic nor-Paclitaxel Derivative to a Cytotoxic Analogue by Constraining It to the T-Taxol Conformation

The synthesis of the bridged A-nor-paclitaxel 4 has been achieved from paclitaxel in a key test of the T-Taxol conformational hypothesis. Although the unbridged A-nor-paclitaxel 3 is essentially noncytotoxic, the bridged analogue 4 is strongly cytotoxic. This result provides strong evidence for the T-Taxol conformation as the bioactive tubulin-binding conformation of paclitaxel.
ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF METHODS OF AGGREGATING EVIDENCE IN EXPERT SYSTEMS

Abstract We show how Shafer's concepts of plausibility and belief can be derived as a special case of the compatibility of a linguistically quantified statement with a data base consisting of an expert's fragmented opinion as to the location of a special element. We also show that probability is the compatibility of a linguistically quantified statement about truth with this data base. Based upon these ideas we provide some alternative methods to Dempster's rule for combining evidence.
Neuroendocrine-related biochemistry in the spectrum of human lung cancers

(1982). Neuroendocrine-Related Biochemistry in the Spectrum of Human Lung Cancers. Experimental Lung Research: Vol. 3, No. 3-4, pp. 209-223.
The Adherence of Thick Silver Plate on Steel

Silver can be plated to a thickness of 0.05–0.07 in. (1.3–1.8 mm.) on properly cleaned and treated low carbon (0.1 per cent C or less) steel with excellent mechanical adherence by use of a copper or silver strike. Such deposits are smooth and dense and are suitable for use in bearings and for lining of industrial vessels.
The Evolution of Biological Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling—a Genomic Perspective

Carbon and nitrogen are essential to all living organisms, owing to their abundance and remarkable characteristics when participating in chemical bonds. Their essentiality dates back to the very origin of life, where current theories hypothesize either a prebiotic abundance of organic compounds rich in carbon and nitrogen, or an ability to assimilate them inorganically through abiotic reactions that might have been catalyzed on ancient mineral surfaces. This chapter details the core reactions essential to the assimilation of these elements in biologically useful forms—the so-called fixation of carbon and nitrogen—focusing on recent literature and insights from comparative genomics and phylogenetics. Though considerable debate continues on the antiquity of these pathways, especially whether or not they might have been present in the last common ancestor (LCA) of modern organisms, it is clear that carbon and nitrogen fixation pathways were of crucial importance to the primitive ancestors of extant life. Furthermore, the biological assimilation of inorganic carbon (autotrophy) and atmospheric nitrogen (diazotrophy) represent pivotal juxtapositions of biological and geological cycles. It is thought that atmospheric CO2 concentrations have decreased substantially since the proposed origin of life some 3.8 billion years ago, due in large part to either primary (fixation) or secondary (e.g., weathering) influence by biota (Hayes 1994; Rye et al. 1995; Des Marais 1997; Lowe and Tice 2004). Though the biosphere accounts for a relatively small fraction of the total carbon on Earth, the rate of carbon flux through the biosphere far exceeds that through any geological reservoirs (Des Marais 1997). Biological carbon fixation is closely balanced to carbon recycling through biological oxidation, and the future stability of this and other CO2 reservoirs (and our ability to influence or understand them) depends critically on these biological underpinnings (e.g., Falkowski et al. 2000). Conversely, nitrogen, especially the …
Somatostatin neurons are a subpopulation of GABA neurons in the rat dentate gyrus: Evidence from colocalization of pre-prosomatostatin and glutamate decar☐ylase messenger RNAs

The distribution and extent of glutamate decar☐ylase 65 (GAD65) mRNA-labeled neurons that coexpress pre-prosomatostatin mRNA were studied in the rat dentate gyrus of the dorsal and ventral hippocampal formation. The distribution of each group of neurons was determined initially by nonradioactivein situ hybridization experiments with digoxigenin-labeled riboprobes for GAD65 mRNA and pre-prosomatostatin mRNA. Double labeling experiments were then conducted with digoxigenin-labeled riboprobes for GAD65 mRNA and35S-labeled riboprobes for pre-prosomatostatin mRNA. In the dorsal and ventral dentate gyrus, GAD65 mRNA-containing neurons were highly concentrated in the hilus and in the innermost part of the granule cell layer whereas only a few labeled neurons were scattered in the molecular layer. Pre-prosomatostatin mRNA-containing neurons were primarily located in the hilus and were virtually absent from the molecular and granule cell layers. The simultaneous detection of GAD65 and pre-prosomatostatin mRNAs in the same sections showed that the vast majority of pre-prosomatostatin mRNA-containing neurons in the hilus of the dentate gyrus were also labeled for GAD65 mRNA. In contrast many GAD65 mRNA-labeled neurons did not contain pre-prosomatostatin mRNA. These included all neurons in the molecular layer, neurons within the inner granule cell layer and neurons interspersed amongst double labeled neurons in the hilus. Quantitative analyses indicated that a very high percentage of hilar pre-prosomatostatin mRNA-containing neurons coexpressed GAD65 mRNA in the dorsal (96%) and ventral (92%) dentate gyrus. In contrast only a part of the total population of hilar GAD65 mRNA-containing neurons were also labeled for pre-prosomatostatin mRNA in the dorsal (43%) and ventral (53%) dentate gyrus. In the CA3c region, the percentages of neurons containing both mRNAs were similar to those observed in the hilus. The findings demonstrate that the vast majority of hilar somatostatin neurons, which have previously been shown to be extremely vulnerable to ischemia and seizure-induced damage, are GABA neurons. However, the total population of GAD65 mRNA-containing neurons in the hilus is substantially larger than the somatostatin-containing subgroup, and these findings reinforce the suggestion that GABA neurons are a major component of the diverse group of neurons in the hilus of the dentate gyrus.
THE ONE‐CHILD POLICY AND PARENT‐CHILD RELATIONSHIPS: A COMPARISON OF ONE‐CHILD WITH MULTIPLE‐CHILD FAMILIES IN CHINA

Facing a high birth rate, a falling mortality rate, and inconsistent policies on family planning from the 1950s to the early 1970s, the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched its widely known one‐child policy in 1979. The intention was to restrict population growth by reducing fertility through family planning and thereby to conserve the nation's resources to advance economic development. The effectiveness of the one‐child policy has varied greatly because policy regulations are differentially carried out by officials of provinces, municipalities, counties, communes, and minority regions. Generally speaking, the state policy has had greater acceptance in urban areas but is far less rigidly enforced by local officials in rural areas and for certain national minorities, which can have a second child under certain circumstances (Chow and Chen, 1994).
Increased phosphorylated components of erythrocyte membrane spectrin band II with reference to Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Increased erythrocyte band II phosphorylation has been demonstrated in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Band II has been purified by preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Isoelectric focusing of purified band II from which SDS has been removed reveals heterogeneity. Band II migrates as multiple bands on isoelectric focusing gels and as a single band on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The increased phosphorylation in DMD does not occur uniformly in all components of band II. Highly phosphorylated components of band II are present in DMD in which only minimal phosphorylation occurs in controls. These results suggest the presence of an abnormal band II substrate in erythrocyte membranes from DMD patients.
Cyclic Loading Histories for Seismic Experimentation on Structural Components

Abstract In order to utilize results obtained from quasi‐static cyclic load tests on structural components for a general performance evaluation, the need exists to establish loading histories that capture critical issues of component capacity as well as seismic demands. In inelastic seismic problems capacity and demands cannot be separated since one may strongly depend on the other. Because of cumulative damage issues the capacity depends on the number of inelastic excursions and the magnitude of each excursion (not just the largest one). These two parameters depend on the frequency content of the ground motion, the period(s) of the structure, and the strength and inelastic deformation characteristics of the structure. The paper presents procedures how these characteristics can be considered in the selection of suitable loading histories.
Benthic Storms: Temporal Variability in a Deep-Ocean Nepheloid Layer

Time series measurements of light scattering were made for 2½ months at 20 meters above the bottom in the western North Atlantic. The highest values recorded with the nephelometer exceeded all previous measurements worldwide. Rapid changes indicated a high degree of activity near the sea floor, and some increases may have been related to atmospheric storms.
A digitally controlled constant current stimulator.

Abstract A constant current stimulator with digital intensity control is described. The stimulator will provide constant current pulses of from 0.25 to 15.75 mA. Special care has been taken to isolate the driver portion of the stimulator from ground.