cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Climate, Birth Weight, and Agricultural Livelihoods in Kenya and Mali.

Objectives. To examine an association between climate variability and birth weight in Mali and Kenya in relation to the local agricultural specialization.Methods. We combined health and sociodemographic data from the Demographic Health Surveys for Kenya (2008 and 2014) and Mali (2006 and 2012) with detailed data on precipitation, temperature, and vegetation. We analyzed the association between climate variability and birth weight by using multilevel regression models for the most common agricultural specializations: food cropping, cash cropping, and pastoralism.Results. There are differences in sensitivity to climate among different agricultural communities. An additional 100 millimeters of rainfall during the 12-month period before birth was associated with a 47-gram (P = .001) and 89-gram (P = .10) increase in birth weight for food croppers in Kenya and Mali, respectively. Every additional hot month in food-cropping communities in Kenya was associated with a 71-gram decrease in birth weight (P = .030), ...
Toward a typology of government social media communication: Democratic goals, symbolic acts and self-presentation

Abstract Social media have provided new environments for both individuals and organizations to communicate. The literature on government use of social media has noted that these platforms provide a variety of democratic functions for government institutions, in their ability to increase transparency and citizen participation. However, there is less recognition and understanding in this context about the symbolic and presentational content governments communicate on social media. This is the case despite the fact that social media are tools for self-presentation, the exchange of symbolic content, and marketing. We have conducted a literature review from diverse sources, including e-government, business, human-computer interaction, social psychology and human communication to develop a typology of government communication on social media. We present a classification scheme with 12 specific categories and discuss the potential purposes of these various types of communication. Via empirical content analysis, we code a total of 2893 Facebook posts of local governments across the U.S., in a pilot and in a confirmatory study. This analysis allows us to better understand the categories of communication and the extent of their presence. Although we find that most content on local government Facebook pages falls into the category of democratic information provision, almost half of all messages refer to symbolic and presentational types of information exchanges. We illustrate our results with examples, and present a discussion of these findings with implications for practitioners and future research.
Flexible user specification of perceptual landmarks for robot manipulation

Programming robots to do manipulation tasks requires users to specify relevant perceptual landmarks, which include objects, parts of objects, or parts of the workspace. While many techniques have been developed for object detection, few are designed to detect arbitrary parts of objects or of the workspace. This paper presents CustomLandmarks, a flexible tool that lets non-roboticists build their own perceptual detectors for many kinds of landmarks. The system components include a simple 3D interface for specifying landmarks, a novel representation for landmarks, and an algorithm for locating landmarks in new scenes. We evaluate the system's detection performance through systematic experiments and by using the system to aid a PR2 robot with several manipulation tasks. Finally, we present a user study showing that novices to the system are able to understand and use CustomLandmarks quickly, creatively, and effectively.
Workers and the Radical Right in Poland

How has the Law and Justice Party in Poland (PiS) been able to get significant labor support to introduce far-right policies that undermine pluralist democracy? We look at PiS in the context of the “left fascist” traditions of the past, when redistributionist policies won wide support among workers who were accepted as part of the favored “nation.” Labor support breaks down along three lines, with industrial labor most closely aligned with PiS, white-collar labor (in education and health) mostly opposed, and the marginalized small-city precariat being mobilized by PiS, but also finding a place in explicitly fascist parties further to the Right. Left alternatives, weakened due to the collapse of class discourse, are slowly reemerging, but the Right will likely command most labor support for the near future.
Manganese Utilization in Breast-fed and Formula-fed Infants

Manganese balance data from newborns or infants are very scarce. There seem to be several reasons for this.
A Coupled Schmitt Trigger Oscillator Neural Network for Pattern Recognition Applications

This paper demonstrates a coupled Schmitt trigger oscillator based oscillator neural network (SMT-ONN) for pattern recognition applications. Unlike previous ONN models, the SMT-ONN can be easily realized in both hardware and software levels. A mathematical model of the Schmitt Trigger Oscillator as well as the corresponding CMOS circuit are presented to validate the mathematical model. The SMT-ONN can realize the pattern recognition task by considering the convergence time and frequency as the recognition indicators. A Kuramoto model based frequency synchronization approach is utilized, and simulation results indicate less than 160 ms convergence time and close frequency match for a simplified pattern recognition application.
Flexible Resource Allocation using Photonic Switched Interconnects for Disaggregated System Architectures

We present an optically connected disaggregated system architecture that supports dynamic resource allocation, leveraging the optical spatial switching capability of silicon photonic microring-based interconnects and demonstrate compute nodes on-request access to remote memory and PCIe-based resources.
On the process of understanding idioms

This paper presents arguments against the idea that people normally analyze the literal meanings of idiomatic expressions during understanding. A number of empirical studies are reviewed which suggest that people do not compute the literal interpretations of idioms either before or simultaneous to comprehending their figurative meanings. This seems particularly true given that many idiomatic expressions do not have well-defined literal meanings. Finally, it is suggested that although idioms are understood directly as if single words, it is premature to accept the idea that all idioms are represented with equal status in the lexicon.
Increased Cost With Use of Brand-name Bowel Preparation by Patients With Medicare Part D From 2013 to 2015

High-quality bowel preparation (prep) before colonoscopy is essential for the success of the procedure.1 Bowel preps should be safe, tolerable, efficacious, and allow for visualization of polyps 5 mm or larger.2 Full-volume (4 L) polyethylene glycol-3350 with electrolyte solution (PEG-ELS) has been considered a standard bowel prep regimen, with good safety and efficacy profiles, and is available as a generic.2.
Investigating the Critical Role of a Wetland in Spatial and Temporal Reduction of Environmental Contaminants: a Case Study from Iowa, USA

Beaver Valley Wetland in north-east Iowa, USA, was studied to determine its effectiveness in filtering incoming contaminants from the surrounding agricultural fields. The assessment was based on temporal and spatial variations in contaminant levels as they moved from the inlet to the outlet areas of the wetland. Temporally, the average conductivity and total dissolved solids in water were higher during mid-summer (273.40 μs/cm and 188.34 mg/L) than in early (260.70 μs/cm and 179.91 mg/L) and late summers (247 μs/cm and 169.70 mg/L), respectively. The findings are attributed to rainfall, algae growth and high organic loads in July and August. Most contaminants showed significant decrease (30% - 74%) in concentrations going from the inlet to the outlet. On average, high loads of erodible soils during mid-summer resulted in high turbidity (45.1 NTU), high total suspended solids (TSS, 241.5 mg/L), and thereby low dissolved oxygen (DO, 1.4 mg/L) at the inlet area. Much higher DO (11.7 mg/L), lower turbidity (11.8 NTU), and lower TSS (63.8 mg/L) were observed at the outlet. Most heavy metals accumulated and retained in 15.2 cm-deep wetland soils. Tracer tests confirmed that removal of contaminants is occurring within the wetland vegetation and the top few cms of soils.
Electromigration Early Failures for Cu Pillar Interconnections with an ENEPIG Pad Finish and its Suppression

The lifetime distribution of electromigration in a Cu pillar interconnection with Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold (ENEPIG or Ni-P/Pd/Au) pad finish was investigated. The Cu pillar interconnection with a Ni cap showed a bimodal lifetime distribution under high current stressing. It was found that Ni diffusion from the pad finish to solder plays a key role in the mechanism of this early failure mode. By removing the Ni cap and increasing the ratio of the Cu post diameter to solder resist opening size, we could achieve a significant suppression of the early failure.
Fe(III) heme sets an activation threshold for processing distinct groups of pri-miRNAs in mammalian cells

ABSTRACT The essential biological cofactor heme is synthesized in cells in the Fe(II) form. Oxidized Fe(III) heme is specifically required for processing primary transcripts of microRNAs (pri-miRNAs) by the RNA-binding protein DGCR8, a core component of the Microprocessor complex. It is unknown how readily available Fe(III) heme is in the largely reducing environment in human cells and how changes in cellular Fe(III) heme availability alter microRNA (miRNA) expression. Here we address the first question by characterizing DGCR8 mutants with various degrees of deficiency in heme-binding. We observed a strikingly simple correlation between Fe(III) heme affinity in vitro and the Microprocessor activity in HeLa cells, with the heme affinity threshold for activation estimated to be between 0.6-5 pM under typical cell culture conditions. The threshold is strongly influenced by cellular heme synthesis and uptake. We suggest that the threshold reflects a labile Fe(III) heme pool in cells. Based on our understanding of DGCR8 mutants, we reanalyzed recently reported miRNA sequencing data and conclude that heme is generally required for processing canonical pri-miRNAs, that heme modulates the specificity of Microprocessor, and that cellular heme level and differential DGCR8 heme occupancy alter the expression of distinct groups of miRNAs in a hierarchical fashion. Overall, our study provides the first glimpse of a labile Fe(III) heme pool important for a fundamental physiological function and reveal principles governing how Fe(III) heme modulates miRNA maturation at a genomic scale. We also discuss potential states and biological significance of the labile Fe(III) heme pool.
Ad Hoc Vehicle Platoon Formation

Road traffic is something most people experience daily. Traffic congestion is something everyone involved seeks to avoid, but often cannot. There are many facets of research seeking to alleviate or solve traffic problems. Platooning is a method that could help. Platooning is a technique where two or more cars drive in close proximity, one behind the other. To date, platoon formation research has largely focused on centrally orchestrated planning. Allowing dynamic formation of platoons seems a natural means to increase adoption and participation, but a standard way of negotiating the platoon is needed. This paper defines an Ad Hoc Platoon formation game that meets that need and evaluates potential strategies players could employ.
On Self-Limiting Rotation and Diffusion Mechanisms during Sintering of Silver Nanowires

Understanding the mechanisms and kinetics of thermal sintering between silver nanowires (NWs) is critical for multiple emerging applications. We use molecular dynamics simulations to reveal the kin...
Psychosemantics of “One-China” Conception: Fourth-Dimensional Resolution of Taiwan–Mainland Political Deadlock

The political conflicts between Taiwan and the Mainland have progressed, for over 50 years, from the historical “hot civil war” for the “exclusive ownership” of one China's territorial sovereignty to the contemporary “cold rhetoric circularity” around the “geopolitical symbolism” of the one-China principle. In the process, the United States has been intimately entangled in the disputes in terms of 3 alignment stages--from an “unambiguous pro-Taiwan” before the 1970s, the “ambiguous neutrality” in the early 1970s, to the contemporary “pro-Mainland China.” Despite the fact that during the past 3 decades the United States honored the arms sales and the Taiwan Relations Act commitments in Taiwan's favor, and simultaneously conferred the “3 Nos” and 3 communiques in Mainland China's favor, the cross-Strait tensions have persisted without the prospect of a definitive foreseeable resolution. Further, because of the lack of explicit conception of “one China,” the United States has to constantly resist the opposing persuasions of the 2 sides, and therefore must continue to rely on the “ambiguous dual deterrence strategy” for maintaining the “dynamics balance” over the Taiwan Strait. For such endeavors, the Clinton “4 frameworks” and the Bush “5 Taiwan policies” have proven to be very effective, but mostly to the extent of assuming a “passive” role in preventing military confrontations.
Recycling for All Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries

Summary All solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are expected to be the future for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, recycling aspects for ASSBs are underexplored and would be critical as supply/demand projections will eventually result in unprecedented amounts of disposed LIBs, especially from the automotive sector. The current state of LIB recycling is inadequate, and the incorporation of lithium-metal anodes and solid electrolyte chemistries in ASSBs will pose additional challenges. Therefore, recycling viability and waste management should have a guiding role in ASSB development toward commercialization. In this work, we touch upon the leading solid-state electrolyte chemistries, differences between ASSBs and conventional LIBs from a recycling aspect, and the viability of various recycling processes with respect to ASSBs. We further propose a general design for ASSB recycling, utilizing hydrometallurgy and direct recycling methods. Finally, we discuss the value of legislation and automation toward the realization of large-scale ASSB recycling, and future directions of study.
Retrospective analysis of bleeding events after central venous catheter placement in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Abstract Background Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a thrombotic disorder caused by severe deficiency of ADAMTS13. Platelets are transfused prophylactically in non-TTP patients for central venous catheter (CVC) with a count Study Design and Methods 95 acute episodes of TTP were identified. Twenty-six episodes were excluded for insufficient documentation or no CVC placement. The charts of 69 remaining episodes were reviewed. Results Of 69 TTP episodes, nine (13 %) had bleeding after a CVC placement. Of these, seven bleeds were minor, and the two were major related to the technical issues during femoral venous access causing arterial bleeds. Median platelet count before the CVC placement among those experiencing bleeding complications was 12 × 109/L (range 3–44) as compared to median count of 15 × 109/L (range 4–257) in those who did not bleed (p = 0.258). Among 44 episodes with a platelet count Conclusion Major bleeding complications following CVC placement in TTP is uncommon and most likely related to technical challenges. Median platelet count was similar in patients who bled versus those who did not, suggesting that platelet transfusion is unnecessary to correct platelet count prior to a CVC placement in TTP.
COVID-19 pandemic-related changes in wellness behavior among older Americans.

COVID-19 has taken its toll on citizens in all 50 states of the United States. The United States (U.S.) leads the world with 30,291,863 confirmed reported cases and 549,664 deaths as of March 29, 2021 compared to globally confirmed cases at 127,442,926 and 2,787,915 deaths as of March 29, 2021. The U.S. federal government primarily left the response to the virus to individual states, and each implemented varying measures designed to protect health of citizens and the state’s economic well-being. Unintended consequences of the virus and measures to stop its spread may include decreased physical activity and exercise, shifting access and consumption of food, and lower quality-of-life. Therefore, our primary goal was to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on health and well-being by measuring changes in physical activity, mental health-quality of life, food security and nutrition in adults ages 40 and older. We believed shifts in health behaviors would be more prevalent in minorities, less educated, lower socio-economic status, older adults, and those with underlying health conditions, so a secondary goal was to determine the impact of COVID-19 on these sub-populations. We conducted an online survey with 9969 adults 40 years and older between 9 August and 15 September 2020 in urban areas across the four U.S. census regions. The survey included questions about demographic variables, pre-existing health conditions, physical activity, access to food, quality-of-life, and nutritional food status and asked participants to respond with information from pre-pandemic and pandemic conditions. We used paired-sample t-tests to detect changes in variables after the start of the pandemic and Cohen’s d to determine effect sizes. Our main findings showed a decrease in physical activity since the onset of COVID-19 for minorities and non-minorities. Food security also slightly increased for minorities during the pandemic, but we found no other changes in food security, quality-of-life indicators, or nutritional status of those who responded to this survey. It is concerning that physical activity declined. Such activity helps maintain physical and mental health, and it is also an important time to socialize for many older adults. In many ways, our data indicate that the older adult population in U.S. cities may be more resilient than expected during the pandemic. However, the pandemic could have negative impacts that we did not detect, either due to the survey instrument or the timing of our survey, so the health and well-being of older adults should continue to be monitored in order to mitigate potential negative impacts.
Methods to Select the Scales and Starting Values for Axes in Linear Graphs

Graphs are an important component in physics laboratory reports. We have noticed that our students have difficulty selecting the scale and the starting value for an axis while generating graphs on graph paper. Recommendations concerning convenient scales and starting values are found in textbooks, laboratory manuals, and papers. Methods to select the scale are found in web sources; however, they are inadequate, because as illustrated later in this paper, they are explained by means of particular numerical examples (instead of as a general formulation) or trial and error. In this paper, the existing methods to select the scale are reformulated and expanded in a general form involving equations and variables, but no trial and error. Methods to select the starting value of an axis are not documented. In this paper, a general method is presented to select the starting value.
Jet impingement in high-energy piping systems, part I: Characteristics and model evaluation

Abstract Under postulated pipe rupture accidents in nuclear power plants (Loss-of-Coolant Accident or LOCA), jet impingement can occur where the high-energy fluid is discharged and cause damage to the surrounding structures, systems, and components (SSCs). As a part of addressing the potential non-conservatisms in the Standard model ANSI/ANS-58.2 (1988), the current work investigates characteristics of jet impingement in high energy piping systems as in nuclear power plants including pressure distribution within jets, pressure on target, and critical mass flux and performs model evaluation. The pressure prediction using ANSI/ANS-58.2 (1988) as well as critical mass flux models are evaluated using the experimental data available in literature. An organized experimental database with different inlet fluid conditions including subcooled water, saturated water/two-phase (0 ≤ x 3.3) can be underestimated, the dimensionless pressures at these axial locations are below 0.07. For saturated water/two-phase jets, the stagnation pressure can be predicted well using the Standard model for the large-scale test data (D > 0.28 m) but are underestimated at some axial locations for the medium- and small-scale test data (D
An SCA security supplement compliant radio architecture

This paper provides an overview of the security features and attributes presented in the software communications architecture (SCA) security supplement along with implementation recommendations. Hardware based security policy enforcement and flexible downloadable security policy mechanisms are also discussed. The paper concludes by presenting an innovative communications architecture that is compliant with the SCA security supplement.
Intellectual Property as a Law of Organization

The incentive thesis for patents is challenged by the existence of alternative means by which firms can capture returns on innovation. Taking into account patent alternatives yields a robust reformulation of the incentive thesis as mediated by organizational form. Patents enable innovators to make efficient selections of firm scope by transacting with least-cost suppliers of commercialization inputs. These expanded transactional opportunities reduce the minimum size of the market into which any innovator – or the supplier of any other technological or production input – can attempt entry. Disaggregation of the innovation and commercialization process then induces the formation of secondary markets in disembodied technology inputs. These organizational effects over transactional, firm and market structure generate specialization economies that minimize innovation and commercialization costs, which in turn exerts incentive effects consistent with the standard thesis and market growth effects that extend beyond it. Conversely, the absence of patents, and the resulting obstacles to bargaining over ideas, can compel innovators to select integrated structures that inflate commercialization costs, resulting in distorted R&D investment and product output. These proposed relationships are broadly consistent with organizational patterns in selected historical and contemporary technology markets, as illustrated in particular by disintegration processes in the “fabless” segment of the semiconductor market.
A Role for the Eph Ligand Ephrin-A3 in Entorhino-Hippocampal Axon Targeting

Neurons of layers II and III of the entorhinal cortex constitute the major afferent connection of the hippocampus. The molecular mechanisms that target the entorhinal axons to specific layers in the hippocampus are not known. EphA5, a member of the Eph receptor family, which has been shown to play critical roles in axon guidance, is expressed in the entorhinal cortex, the origin of the perforant pathway. In addition, ligands that interact with EphA5 are expressed in distinct hippocampal regions during development of the entorhino-hippocampal projection. Of these ligands, ephrin-A3 mRNA is localized both in the granular cell layer of the dentate gyrus and in the pyramidal cell layer of the cornu ammonis, whereas ephrin-A5 mRNA is only expressed in the pyramidal cell layer of the cornu ammonis. In the dentate gyrus, the ligand protein is not present in the termination zone of the entorhinal efferents (the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus) but is concentrated in the inner molecular layer into which entorhinal efferents do not grow. We used outgrowth and stripe assays to test the effects of ephrin-A3 and ephrin-A5 on the outgrowth behavior of entorhinal axons. This functional analysis revealed that entorhinal neurites were repelled by ephrin-A3 but not by ephrin-A5. These observations suggest that ephrin-A3 plays an important role in the layer-specific termination of the perforant pathway and that this ligand may interact with the EphA5 receptor to restrict entorhinal axon terminals in the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus.
Aneurysm of the splenic artery in pregnancy

Abstract A case of rupture of an aneurysm of the splenic artery in pregnancy has been presented along with a review of the cases reported in the literature. The diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment of aneurysm of the splenic artery in pregnancy have been discussed and, in conclusion, it may be stated that early diagnosis and surgical correction are imperative for survival.
Diversity of regulation of genetic transcription: I. Effect of antibiotics which inhibit the process of translation on RNA metabolism in Escherichia coli

Abstract The effect of antibiotics which prevent, either directly or indirectly, the formation of polyribosomes (i.e. the translocation of ribosomes along messenger RNA), including fusidic acid, erythromycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and puromycin, on the synthesis of trp messenger RNA and bulk messenger RNA in Escherichia coli was studied. Quantitative estimates of the synthesis of messenger RNA in antibiotic-treated cells showed that, under the conditions used, synthesis of only about half of the messenger RNA species of the cell, including trp messenger RNA, was subject to the antibiotic effect. As the dose of each antibiotic was increased, the over-all rate of trp messenger synthesis closely paralleled the decreased rate of protein synthesis, while bulk messenger RNA continued to be synthesized at about half the rate of the control at doses of antibiotics which were sufficient to block nearly all protein and trp messenger synthesis. Stimulation of degradation of trp messenger occurred with puromycin but only a small change in half-life was observed with erythromycin. Chloramphenicol, fusidic acid and tetracycline stabilized trp messenger RNA. Evidence is presented showing that the diminution of the detectable level of messenger RNA in antibiotic-treated cells is attributable to an arrest of transcription rather than to degradation of nascent messenger RNA molecules. In spite of a reduction in bulk messenger RNA synthesis in antibiotic-treated cells, over-all incorporation of [3H]uridine into RNA was apparently not reduced or in some cases was somewhat stimulated, due to an accelerated synthesis of ribosomal RNA. The hypothesis is presented that messenger RNA of E. coli consists of two types: one, including trp messenger RNA, the synthesis of which is closely coupled with a functional translational machinery; the other the synthesis of which is apparently independent of such an obligatory coupling.
Ketamine for Pain in Adults and Children with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of the Literature

Objective Chronic cancer pain is often refractory and difficult to treat. Ketamine is a medication with evidence of efficacy in the treatment of chronic pain. Design This article presents a synthesis of the data on ketamine for refractory cancer pain in adults and children. Results There are five randomized, double-blind, controlled trials of ketamine use in cancer pain that demonstrate improvement in pain for some patients. There are six prospective, uncontrolled trials in cancer pain that also demonstrate improvement in pain scores for some patients. There are no randomized, controlled trials in children with cancer pain, although there are a few studies reflecting improved pain control with ketamine for children with cancer pain. Adverse events for adults on ketamine are most commonly somnolence, feelings of insobriety, nausea/vomiting, hallucinations, depersonalization/derealization, and drowsiness. However, when ketamine is combined with benzodiazepines, feelings of insobriety, hallucinations, and depersonalization/derealization are not reported. Children on ketamine have had few reported adverse effects, which include sedation, anorexia, urinary retention, and myoclonic movements. Recommended ketamine infusion dosages are from 0.05 to 0.5 mg/kg/h (intravenous or subcutaneous). Recommended oral dosages of ketamine are 0.2–0.5 mg/kg/dose two to three times daily with a maximum of 50 mg/dose three times daily. Conclusions Despite limitations in the breadth and depth of data available, there is evidence that ketamine may be a viable option for treatment-refractory cancer pain.
Race, Pain, and Beliefs Associated with Interest in Complementary and Alternative Medicine among Inner City Veterans

Objective To investigate the prevalence and determinants of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interest level among a racially diverse cohort of inner city veterans who receive primary care at the VA Medical Center. Design Cross-sectional survey study Setting Philadelphia VA Medical Center Subjects Primary care patients (n = 258) Methods Interest in CAM was measured using a single item question. Patient treatment beliefs were assessed using validated instruments. We evaluated factors associated with patient interest in CAM using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results In this sample of 258 inner city primary care VA patients, interest in CAM was high 80% (n = 206). Interest in CAM was strongly associated with African American race [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.19, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.05–4.60, P = 0.037], higher levels of education (AOR 4.33, 95% CI 1.80–10.40, P = 0.001), presence of moderate to severe pain (AOR 2.02, 95% CI 1.02–4.78, P = 0.043), and expectations of benefit from CAM use (AOR 1.21, 95% CI 1.06–1.36, P = 0.004). Conclusions CAM approaches have broad appeal within this inner city cohort of veterans, particularly among African Americans, those that experience pain and those that expect greater benefit from CAM. These findings may inform the development of patient-centered integrative pain management for veterans.
William Hunnis and the success of the Seven Sobs

My article focuses on Seven Sobs of a Sorrowfull Soule for Sinne, an expansive verse paraphrase of the seven Penitential Psalms by William Hunnis, Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal. First published in 1583, this text has been largely overlooked, or mentioned only in passing, by modern scholars. However, it garnered considerable popular interest in its own time, running to a total of fifteen editions by 1636 and earning revenue for several generations of printers. My task is to explore the significance of this huge commercial success for the field of psalm studies, as well as to consider why we have found it difficult to give Hunnis's publication sufficient attention to date. Analysing Seven Sobs in relation to the centuries-old tradition of praying and commenting on the Penitential Psalms, which elsewhere I have termed ‘penitential hermeneutics’, I elucidate how Hunnis and his publishers were able to propagate a relatively innovative reformist agenda by combining it with long-standing devotional and interpretive custom. And I argue that the challenge of understanding Hunnis's dilatory (and often tortuous) paraphrase, and the role it played in post-Reformation England, might highlight the continued importance of reading and theorizing across periods and confessions today.
High-density nucleoside analog probe arrays for enhanced hybridization.

Abstract DNA probe arrays were synthesized with analogs of 2,6-diaminopurine and 2′-O-methyl-thymidine in place of A and T. AT-rich GeneChip® test arrays containing 14-mer or 20-mer analog probes improved hybridization to fluorescently-labeled RNA sequences under stringent conditions.
Some mathematical tools for a modeler's workbench

This article is a retrospective look at a modeling effort involving the generation of a computer model from informal drawings and a plastic model of a helicopter. When the exercise was taken on at the suggestion of a sponsor at the US Army Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL) in Aberdeen, Maryland, we accepted the task as a means of examining a significant class of objects in which lofting was the predominant, characterizing modeling technique. During the course of this modeling effort, we were able to gain some insights into the kinds of computeraided geometric design tools that would be appropriate to support this kind of work. It is our expectation that from the results of a project like this we will see ways to develop a set of mathematical software tools in a "workbench environment" - tools that will make subsequent efforts to model related objects a much more straightforward process. The Alpha_I System, which is an experimental spline-based solid modeler used to generate the models discussed in this article, is being developed in the Computer Science Department at the University of Utah. Alpha_1 is intended to become part of an interactive environment that will eventually provide the designer with the kind of workbench necessary to carry out a large variety of tasks beyond specialized lofting projects.
Changes in hepatic androgen sensitivity and gene expression during aging

The hepatic tissue of the male rat exhibits a gradual decline and ultimate loss in androgen responsiveness during in vivo aging. Appearance of the age-associated androgen insensitivity can be delayed by dietary calorie restriction, an effective means for life-span extension. The androgen receptor mRNA is detectable in the liver only in its androgen-responsive state. Pubertal appearance of hepatic androgen sensitivity is remarkably correlated with the concomitant appearance of a cytoplasmic androgen binding (CAB) protein. Androgen resistance during senescence is associated with the loss of hepatic CAB activity as well. We are investigating the molecular basis for the temporal modulation of this hormone sensitivity through studies on the differential expression of two androgen-responsive marker genes. These are the androgen-repressible SMP-2, and the androgen-inducible alpha 2u-globulin. Androgen resistance of hepatocytes during aging results in repression of the alpha 2u-globulin gene, and derepression of the SMP-2 gene. The structural organizations for both of these genes have been characterized. The role of nuclear transcription factors (androgen receptor and any other transacting factor(s) which may be involved) in the coordinate regulation of alpha 2u-globulin and SMP-2 during aging and nutritional manipulation is being explored to establish the molecular mechanism of andropause in the liver.
Economic Comparison of Independent and Contract Turkey Family Farm Operations in Georgia

Abstract The Georgia turkey industry is made up of a mixture of integrated producers, small independent producers and contract producers. The primary objective of this report was to present costs information relative to typical independent and contract turkey operations. An additional objective was to examine variations in costs due to variations in production levels and feed prices. Most of the data used in this analysis were obtained by personal interview from a random sample of turkey producers. Data were obtained on 1972 production of 89 flocks with a total volume of over one million turkeys. Budgetary procedures were used to budget costs and returns for average independent and contract operations and variability in costs was analyzed by production levels. Production costs were also estimated by allowing feed prices to change by $10 intervals from $90 to $200 per ton. Average production costs, excluding land and operator labor, for turkeys marketed by independent producers during 1972 were estimated at $0.2278 for 25.09-pound toms and $0.2178 for 14.77-pound hens. Average returns to land and labor were estimated for 25-pound tom turkeys marketed during 1972: (1) independent operations, $0.1807; (2) profit share contract, $0.2704 and (3) base pay and bonuses contract, $0.1656. These analyses show that differences in production cost were large enough to account for the success or failure of the turkey enterprise at 1972 turkey market prices.
Shoulder dystocia: Definitions and incidence

Though subjective in nature, both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists practice bulletin and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists green guideline are in agreement on the descriptor of shoulder dystocia: requirement of additional obstetric maneuvers when gentle downward traction has failed to affect the delivery of the shoulders. The rate of shoulder dystocia is about 1.4% of all deliveries and 0.7% for vaginal births. Compared to non-diabetics (0.6%), among diabetics, the rate of impacted shoulders is 201% higher (1.9%); newborns delivered by vacuum or forceps have 254% higher likelihood of shoulder dystocia than those born spontaneously (2.0% vs. 0.6%, respectively). When the birthweight is categorized as 4500 g, the likelihood of shoulder dystocia in the US vs. other countries varies significantly. Future studies should focus on lowering the rate of shoulder dystocia and its associated morbidities, without concomitantly increasing the rate of cesarean delivery.
Synthesis, characterization, properties, and derivatives of poly(starch-g-(1-amidoethylene)). II. Measurement of molecular weights by ultracentrifugation

Weight-average molecular weights of samples of poly(starch-g-(1-amidoethylene)) determined by ultracentrifugation range from 0.19 to 3.7 × 106. These data show the copolymer to be a partially permeable coil in aqueous solution and to be formed at significantly higher molecular weights as the mole ratio of cerium(+ IV) to 2-propenamide in the reaction mixture decreases. Sedimentation coefficients show no indications of distribution broadening from aggregation of copolymer molecules. Buoyancy factor and partial specific volume of the copolymers bracket the values of these variables for the backbone and sidechain.
Greenhouse gas emissions tool

Power plants were the largest stationary source of direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States in 2010, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) GHG Reporting Program, the agency announced on 11 January. The GHG data set, which includes reports from more than 6700 facilities, provides information that the public can search to identify local sources of emissions and that businesses can use to track emissions. Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, said the program is “a transparent, powerful data resource available to the public” and that it provides “a critical tool” for businesses and others to find efficiencies to reduce emissions.
Low-shear force associated with modeled microgravity and spaceflight does not similarly impact the virulence of notable bacterial pathogens.

As their environments change, microbes experience various threats and stressors, and in the hypercompetitive microbial world, dynamism and the ability to rapidly respond to such changes allow microbes to outcompete their nutrient-seeking neighbors. Viewed in that light, the very difference between microbial life and death depends on effective stress response mechanisms. In addition to the more commonly studied temperature, nutritional, and chemical stressors, research has begun to characterize microbial responses to physical stress, namely low-shear stress. In fact, microbial responses to low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG), which emulates the microgravity experienced in space, have been studied quite widely in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Interestingly, LSMMG-induced changes in the virulence potential of several Gram-negative enteric bacteria, e.g., an increased enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-mediated fluid secretion in ligated ileal loops of mice, an increased adherent invasive E. coli-mediated infectivity of Caco-2 cells, an increased Salmonella typhimurium-mediated invasion of both epithelial and macrophage cells, and S. typhimurium hypervirulence phenotype in BALB/c mice when infected by the intraperitoneal route. Although these were some examples where virulence of the bacteria was increased, there are instances where organisms became less virulent under LSMMG, e.g., hypovirulence of Yersinia pestis in cell culture infections and hypovirulence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Listeria monocytogenes in a Caenorhabditis elegans infection model. In general, a number of LSMMG-exposed bacteria (but not all) seemed better equipped to handle subsequent stressors such as osmotic shock, acid shock, heat shock, and exposure to chemotherapeutics. This mini-review primarily discusses both LSMMG-induced as well as bona fide spaceflight-specific alterations in bacterial virulence potential, demonstrating that pathogens’ responses to low-shear forces vary dramatically. Ultimately, a careful characterization of numerous bacterial pathogens’ responses to low-shear forces is necessary to evaluate a more complete picture of how this physical stress impacts bacterial virulence since a “one-size-fits-all” response is clearly not the case.
Subcellular distribution of adenyl cyclase and phosphodiesterase in Acanthamoeba palestinensis.

Abstract 1. 1. The subcellular distributions of adenyl cyclase and phosphodiesterase were determined in Acanthamoeba palestinensis. The cells were homogenized and fractionated by a technique modified to preserve enzyme activity and monitored by electron microscopy. 2. 2. The recovery of adenyl cyclase activity was highest in the microsomal fraction. Upon further fractionation of the microsomes, adenyl cyclase was concentrated by the rough endoplasmic reticulum fraction, and in only this fraction was the specific activity of the enzyme increased over the starting material. 3. 3. The specific activity of adenyl cyclase was lower in enriched fractions of plasma membranes and mitochondria than in the homogenate, and the recoveries were very low. Further, these fractions revealed the presence of sufficient rough endoplasmic reticulum contamination to account for the adenyl cyclase activity present. 4. 4. Most of the phosphodiesterase activity was soluble and was recovered in the post-microsomal supernatant.
Metabolic discrimination between cholesterol and β‐amyrin byPhytophthora cactorum

When cultures ofPhytophthora cactorum were incubated on solid medium for 3 weeks in the dark at 20 C with [14C] cholesterol or [14C]β-amyrin, the [14C] cholesterol was assimilated into the advancing mycelium to a greater extent than the [14C]β-amyrin. Examination of the mycelium and medium for radioactive metabolites showed significant differences in the metabolism of the 2 labeled compounds. Cholesterol was converted mainly to esters and to some extent to glycosides, whereas β-amyrin was only slightly converted to esters and not at all to glycosides.
E-Planning Through the Wisconsin Land Information Program: The Contexts of Power, Politics and Scale

Through the lenses of Critical GIS and political economy, this paper examines the history of the Wisconsin Land Information Program (WLIP), which was created in 1989 and provides an early US example of the adoption of GIS at the local government level. Using a mixed methods approach and a case study design, the authors focus on the cooperation and conflicts among various actors and networks, at and between scales, during times of plentiful and lean resources. Catalyzed by the 1978 Larsen Report, the WLIP was unique in its inclusiveness of everyone involved in land records management. University academics brought together all the stakeholders to create a thematic and territorial network with political power and a unique funding mechanism. As land use planning and state budget deficits became prominent, the program became a target, leading to conflict and power struggles, particularly with the state Department of Administration (DOA). What began as an egalitarian, grass-roots, socially just, forward-thinking program has shape-shifted, and while the WLIP is still a viable and functioning program, its egalitarian goals have been subverted by economics.
Work in progress — Using graphical programming to contextualize a conventional programming course

“Computer Programming for Science/ Engineering” (CPSE) is an introductory programming course for STEM students other than Computer Science (CS) major. Typical attendees are required to attend either CPSE or the Java-based first programming course of the CS majors' sequence (CS1). The previous curriculum for CPSE was a traditional introductory programming course with chronically low enrollment despite less its substantially relaxed learning outcomes. Post-reform, CPSE has become a popular alternative to CS1. Pass rates in CPSE are substantially higher than both local and national pass rates for CS1 and equivalent courses, and in-class tests of CPSE students indicate that 70% satisfy the majority of CS1 outcomes, which exceeds the pass rate for most CS1 sections at our institution. While both CPSE and CS1 teach the Java language, CPSE integrates inductive teaching strategies developed by the second author's iMPaCT program that exploit the relaxed syntax of the Jython language. Like immersive foreign language programs, lessons during the first half of the course exploit the relaxed grammatical requirements of a simpler programming language (Jython) to introduce programming concepts (semantics) incrementally in a conversational manner. These early lessons are motivated by accessible graphical problems that incidentally review foundational math concepts.
Near-Cryogenic Machining of Polymethyl Methacrylate for Micromilling Tool Development

Abstract Abstract Micromilling tools with a diameter of 22 micrometers were developed to machine polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) for micro systems applications. Due to the small diameter of the tool, and therefore its slow cutting speed, the specific cutting energy of PMMA in the near-brittle state was needed so the micromilling feed could be estimated. To determine the specific cutting energy in the near-brittle state, PMMA was cooled with liquid nitrogen and machined with diamond tools under normal machining conditions. Cutting forces and surface finish were measured from room temperature down to −53°C. It was found that as the temperature of the PMMA was reduced, the specific cutting energy increased linearly to approximately that of oxygen-free high conductivity copper. It was also found that the surface finish became rougher as the temperature decreased. Using these results, micromilling tools were fabricated using focused ion beam machining. The tools were used to micromachine PMMA electroforming mol...