cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary aspects of intestinal bicarbonate secretion in fish

Experiments compared intestinal HCO3- secretion in the intestine of marine teleost Gulf toadfish, Opsanus beta, to representatives of early chondrostean and chondrichthyan fishes, the Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii, and white-spotted bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium plagiosum, respectively. As seen in marine teleosts, luminal HCO3- concentrations were 10-fold plasma levels in all species when exposed to hyperosmotic conditions. While intestinal water absorption left Mg2+ and SO4(2-) concentrated in intestinal fluids up to four-fold ambient seawater concentrations, HCO3- was concentrated up to 50 times ambient levels as a result of intestinal HCO3- secretion. Reduced luminal Cl- concentrations in the intestine of all species suggest that HCO3- secretion also occurs via Cl-/HCO3- exchange in chondrostean and chondrichthyan fishes. Sturgeon began precipitating carbonates from the gut after only 3 days at 14 per thousand, a mechanism utilized by marine teleosts to reduce intestinal fluid osmolality and maintain calcium homeostasis. Analysis of published intestinal fluid composition in the cyclostome Lampetra fluviatilis reveals that this species likely also utilize intestinal HCO3- secretion for osmoregulation. Analysis of existing cyclostome data and our results indicate that intestinal Cl-/HCO3- exchange plays an integral role in maintaining hydromineral balance not only in teleosts, but in all fish (and perhaps other animals) with a need to drink seawater.
Helical peptide arrays on self-assembled monolayer surfaces through soft and reactive landing of mass-selected ions.

The α-helix – the common building block of the protein secondary structure - plays an important role in determining protein structure and function. The biological function of the α-helix is mainly attributed to its large macrodipole originating from the alignment of individual dipole moments of peptide bonds. Preparation of directionally aligned α-helical peptide layers on substrates has attracted significant attention because the resulting strong net dipole is useful for a variety of applications in photonics, , molecular electronics, and catalysis. - In addition, conformationally-selected α-helical peptide arrays can be used for detailed characterization of molecular recognition steps critical for protein folding, enzyme function and DNA binding by proteins. Existing technologies for the production of α-helical peptide surfaces are based on a variety of solution phase synthetic strategies - that usually require relatively large quantities of purified materials.
Turner syndrome: four challenges across the lifespan

Turner syndrome (TS) is a sex chromosome condition that occurs in approximately 1/2,500 live female births. Despite the prevalence of this chromosomal condition, the challenges these women face throughout their lives are not fully understood. This qualitative research study aimed to characterize the subjective experiences of individuals with TS throughout their lifespan, to investigate their concerns and obstacles, and to offer insight into the strengths and weaknesses of health care delivery, as they perceived them. Ninety-seven girls and women with TS and 21 parents consented to participate in this interview study. Interviews were semi-structured and open-ended in design. Questions sought to elicit responses relating to existing concerns associated with their condition and positive and negative health care experiences. Participants were divided into four age categories (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and mature adulthood) to facilitate a comparative analysis across the age spectrum. Regardless of age, infertility was the most frequently cited concern followed closely by short stature. Sexual development and function and general health were also viewed as challenges by a number of participants in each age group. Although the relative weight of these four concerns tended to shift based upon the individual's age and life experiences, all four issues remained significant throughout the lifespan. Enhanced awareness of the evolving physical and psychological challenges faced by girls and women with TS may help health care providers (HCPs) improve the quality of life for these individuals.
Co-design of interleaved memory systems

Memory interleaving is a cost-efficient approach to increase bandwidth. Improving data access locality and reducing memory access conflicts are two important aspects to achieve high efficiency for interleaved memory. In this paper, we introduce a design framework that integrates these two optimizations, in order to find out minimal memory banks and channels required in the embedded system under performance restriction. Several important techniques, loop and data layout transformations for data access locality, extracting data streams, conflict cache miss reduction as well as data placement and optimally reordered access for interleaved memories, are incorporated in the design framework. Experiments show that our co-design method results in substantially less hardware requirement compared to the implementations without optimization.
Lysophosphatidic acid-induced ERK activation and chemotaxis in MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts are independent of EGF receptor transactivation

Growing evidence indicates that bone-forming osteoblasts and their progenitors are target cells for the lipid growth factor lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) which is produced by degranulating platelets at sites of injury. LPA is a potent inducer of bone cell migration, proliferation and survival in vitro and an attractive candidate to facilitate preosteoblast chemotaxis during skeletal regeneration in vivo, but the intracellular signaling pathways mediating the effects of this lipid on bone cells are not defined. In this study we measured the ability of LPA to stimulate extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK1/2) in MC3T3-E1 preosteoblastic cells and determined the contribution of this pathway to LPA-stimulated chemotaxis. LPA-treated cells exhibited a bimodal activation of ERK1/2 with maximal phosphorylation at 5 and 60 minutes. The kinetics of ERK1/2 phosphorylation were not coupled to Ras activation or LPA-induced elevations in cytosolic Ca2+. While LPA is coupled to the transactivation of the EGF receptor in many cell types, LPA-stimulated ERK1/2 activation in MC3T3-E1 cells was unaffected by inhibition of EGF receptor function. ERK isoforms rapidly accumulated at nuclear sites in LPA-treated cells, a process that was blocked if ERK1/2 phosphorylation was prevented with the MEK1 inhibitor U0126. Blocking ERK1/2 phosphorylation with U0126 also diminished MC3T3-E1 cell migrationmore » and altered the normal disassembly of LPA-induced stress fibers, while the inhibition of EGF receptor function had no effect on LPA-coupled preosteoblast motility. Our results identify ERK1/2 activation as a mediatora mediator of LPA-stimulated MC3T3-E1 cell migration that may be relevant to preosteoblast motility during bone repair in vivo.« less
Natural hydraulic fracturing of tight-gas sandstone reservoirs, Piceance Basin, Colorado

Natural fractures form preferred pathways for basinal fluid flow and associated heat and mass transport. In gas sandstone reservoirs with low matrix permeability, fractures provide flow pathways between organic-rich source and reservoir layers during gas charge, and between matrix pores, hydraulic fractures, and the well bore during production. While the formation of natural fractures has previously been associated with gas generation and pore-fluid pressure increase through a process referred to as natural hydraulic fracturing, other driving mechanisms such as stress changes by tectonic or exhumation processes remained viable alternatives. To test whether these mechanisms contributed to fracture development, we investigated the spatial and temporal distribution of fracture formation and its relationship to gas generation, migration, and charge in sandstone of the Cretaceous Mesaverde Group across the entire production interval on a basinwide scale. Using fluid inclusion microthermometry of crack-seal fracture cement formed concurrently with fracture opening, we observed temperature trends that, when compared with temperature evolution models of the formation, date fracture formation between 41 and 6 Ma in the northern and between 39 and 6 Ma in the southern Piceance Basin. The onset of fracture formation 20–30 m.y. prior to maximum burial eliminates changes in stress state associated with exhumation as a mechanism for triggering the onset of fracture formation. Instead, calculated paleo–pore-fluid pressures of 40–90 MPa (5800–13,000 psi) during fracture opening and the presence of methane-rich inclusions in fracture cement suggest that fracture formation was aided by high pore-fluid pressures during gas generation in organic-rich shales and coals and associated charging of adjacent and interlayered sandstone reservoirs. A 10–20 m.y. age progression in the onset of fracture formation from deeper to shallower horizons of the Mesaverde Group is consistent with gas generation and onset of fracture formation activated by burial temperature with limited upward migration of gas at this stage of reservoir evolution. This age progression with depth is inconsistent with fracture formation triggered by changes in stress conditions associated with tectonic or structural processes expected to affect the entire formation synchronously. Our observations are thus most consistent with fracture formation by natural hydraulic fracturing in response to gas generation in interbedded source layers and reservoir charge. Based on widespread observations of fractures with similar structural and diagenetic attributes, we consider natural hydraulic fracture formation in response to thermocatalytic gas generation to be a fundamental mode of brittle failure in otherwise structurally quiescent basins.
Facilitating ADLs by caregivers of persons with dementia: the C3P model.

The purpose of this paper is to explicate a change model for caregivers of persons with dementia to assist them in facilitating meals in the home, at community-based programs and in institutional settings. Building on a Social Ecological Model, the C3P Model—Change the Person, Change the People, Change the Place offers a clear method to adapt care strategies to foster independence while providing appropriate support as the person with dementia cognitively and functionally declines. Meals are highly embedded within a culture and are ritualized events within a family requiring an individualized approach when modifications are needed.
Analysis of hospital-based emergency department visits for dental caries in the United States in 2008.

Objectives Using nationally representative data, we examined differences in dental care utilization in emergency departments (EDs) among working age adults associated with rural residence and lack of health insurance. Methods We used data from the 2008 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, restricted to working age adults (ages 19-64; 16,928,424 observations). The dependent variable was a principal diagnosis of dental caries. The primary independent variable was patient's area of residence, rural versus urban. The control variables were payer, age, gender, median income, region, and admission timing. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association with residence, payer, and other covariates. Multivariate logistic regression models were estimated. Results In 2008, there were an estimated 74 million ED visits among working adults ages 19-64 in the United States. Dental caries accounted for between 0.2 percent and 1.0 percent of all visits, depending on patient characteristics. Rural patients were significantly more likely than urban patients to have dental visits. Dental visits were more prevalent among patient with government insurance or self -pay relative to the privately insured. Conclusions The Affordable Care Act may reduce the proportion of self-pay visits for dental care. Medicaid expansion may not result in improved dental use among Medicaid patients unless dental services are covered and dental practitioners appropriately engaged.
Who Says What The Law Is

The Perils of Global Legalism. By Eric Posner. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2009. 296 pp., $29.00 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-226-67574-9). Governance, Order and the International Criminal Court: Between Realpolitik and a Cosmopolitan Court. Edited by Steven C. Roach Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2009. 275 pp., $95.00 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-0-199-54673-2). The Sword and the Scales: The United States and International Courts and Tribunals. Edited by Cesare P.R. Romano New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. 492 pp., $103.99 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-40746-5). Aggression, Crime and International Security: Moral, Political, and Legal Dimensions of International Relations. By Page Wilson. New York: Routledge, 2009. 192 pp., $120.00 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-0-415-48524-1). A cottage industry has emerged in the study of international relations analyzing the proliferation and effectiveness of international law and courts. The selected books, each in their own way, assess efforts to “legalize” International Relations and detail the political challenges to, and consequences of, shifting from a system where states make the rules to a more cosmopolitan legal order where nonstate actors, such as, IGOs, NGOs, and individuals participate in creating a global legal order. They also address the impact of this process on the development of international criminal justice. This essay reconstructs the central arguments of these volumes, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. In The Perils of Global Legalism , Eric Posner argues that “politics, idealism, and careless thinking conspire to produce a picture of international law that bears little resemblance to reality” (p. xv). To support this central theme, Posner sets up the dichotomous positions of the rationalist perspective that sees international law as the result of states acting in their self-interest and the global legalist perspective that views international law as transcending states, controlling their behavior and shaping their interests. Beginning from the premise that the rationalist view of international law reflects the current reality, Posner constructs the argument that global legalism without global government is not possible because legalism depends on the prestige of the law, which, in turn, allows many political and moral problems to be placed in legal categories that can be solved by lawyers and judges (p. xii). The problem with global legalism is that the prestige of the law depends on whether the law and corresponding legal institutions function in a highly effective manner. To be effective, the law must be created through agreed upon legislative, executive, and judicial mechanisms. The central problem for global legalists is that the legislative and executive …
Development of Water-Tree-Retardant XLPE Cables

A new water-tree-retardant XLPE has been developed for power cables after intensive studies of various materials. The new XLPE is filled with an organic polymer that acts as a barrier against water-tree propagation. Cables having this new insulation material generate far fewer and smaller water trees and have a voltage life in water at least four to ten times longer than normal XLPE cables.
Structural aspects of glucans formed in solution and on the surface of hydroxyapatite

Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferases (GtfB, -C, and -D) and their products formed from sucrose, glucans, play an essential role in the pathogenesis of dental caries. Enzymatically active Gtf is found in whole human saliva (solution), and incorporated into the salivary pellicle that is formed on teeth in vivo (surface). GtfB glucans are predominantly 1,3-linked; however, surface-formed glucans from GtfB contain greater amounts of 3-linked glucose than glucans formed in solution. In contrast, the major linkage of glucans formed on the surface by GtfB in the presence of sucrose and starch hydrolysates in 4-linked glucose. GtfC-derived glucans in solution have a major linkage of 6-linked glucose, while surface-formed glucans from the same enzyme have 3-linked glucose as the major linkage. GtfD glucans formed either in solution or on the surface are predominantly 1,6-linked; however, surface-formed glucans contain more 6-linked glucose than solution-formed glucans. Digestion with the glucanohydrolases mutanase and dextranase shows differences in susceptibility among glucans formed either in solution or on the surface by each of the Gtf enzymes, and differences are also seen in the soluble end products from these digestions. Our results show that the same Gtf enzyme can form structurally distinct glucans in solution and on a surface. These observations are important in the study of naturally occurring microbial films.
Observations on Radiothyroidectomized Chickens

Abstract EFFECTS of partial and complete thyroidectomy on growth, plumage, and reproduction in the fowl have been reviewed by Sturkie (1954, Ch. 19), who points out that the operation is difficult and not always successful. A much easier procedure is to destroy the thyroid tissue by injecting large doses of radioactive iodide, I131, which rapidly accumulates in the thyroids and “bombards” the thyroid cells with electrons. This technique was termed “radio-thyroid-ecrexis” by Winchester et al. (1949), who were the first to use it with chickens, but is more popularly known as “radiothyroidectomy.” The purpose of this paper is to present some observations made and experimental data obtained in three experiments with radiothyroidectomized (RTx) chickens. Some of these observations and data have been briefly presented in a preliminary report (Mellen and Wentworth, 1959). MATERIALS AND METHODS In each experiment, 10 randomly-chosen crossbred chicks were radiothyroidectomized and approximately the same number of hatch-mates …
Flux analysis of cholesterol biosynthesis in vivo reveals multiple tissue and cell-type specific pathways

Two parallel pathways produce cholesterol: the Bloch and Kandutsch-Russell pathways. Here we used stable isotope labeling and isotopomer analysis to trace sterol flux through the two pathways in mice. Surprisingly, no tissue used the canonical K-R pathway. Rather, a hybrid pathway was identified that we call the modified K-R (MK-R) pathway. Proportional flux through the Bloch pathway varied from 8% in preputial gland to 97% in testes, and the tissue-specificity observed in vivo was retained in cultured cells. The distribution of sterol isotopomers in plasma mirrored that of liver. Sterol depletion in cultured cells increased flux through the Bloch pathway, whereas overexpression of 24-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR24) enhanced usage of the MK-R pathway. Thus, relative use of the Bloch and MK-R pathways is highly variable, tissue-specific, flux dependent, and epigenetically fixed. Maintenance of two interdigitated pathways permits production of diverse bioactive sterols that can be regulated independently of cholesterol.
Role of B cells in common variable immune deficiency.

Common variable immune deficiency is a heterogeneous immune deficiency characterized by reduced serum immunoglobulins and a lack of antibodies. As the name implies, B-cell defects are variably defective. In particular, peripheral blood isotype-switched CD27+ memory B cells are reduced in number and have been the basis of several classification schemes. A lack of these B cells has been associated with selected clinical conditions, including immune cytopenias, splenomegaly, granulomatous disease and lymphadenopathy. Genetic defects in ICOS, CD19 and TACI have been described. In addition to defects in the production or survival of memory B cells, in most subjects, B cells have defects in Toll-like receptor signaling.
Isotropic Plane Elastostatics

We begin with a uniqueness theorem in linear elastic doublet mechanics. With this tool in hand we present two methods of obtaining solutions. The first stems from a correspondence between problems in doublet and continuum mechanics which allows the generation of a solution in one theory given a solution in the other. The second methodology involves combining the microstress equilibrium and micro-strain compatibility requirements into a single condition, from which stems a micro-stress function (MSF) analogous to the CM Airy stress function (ASF). While an admissible ASF is any bi-harmonic function, the equation governing the MSF is a more general fourth order differential equation dependent on the lattice geometry. We show that for a specific choice of the DM lattice the MSF a bi-harmonic function.
Directed mutagenesis as a technique to study protein function: application to β-lactamase

The function of a protein follows uniquely from its three-dimensional structure, which is unambiguously determined by the linear sequence of amino acids. Thus to undertake a systematic study of the relationship between protein structure and function, one would ideally like to be able to alter the structural gene in various ways to encode proteins with novel sequences, structures and functions. Various mutagenic strategies and methods have recently been developed that allow one to achieve these objectives.
R. B. Thompson's contributions to model assisted probability of detection

Traditional empirical studies to estimate probability of detection (or POD) are expensive and time consuming. Over the past thirty years, much progress has been made in the use of physics-based models to predict POD. A deterministic model for flaw response can be combined with a probability distribution for inspection variabilities to provide a model-based POD. Actual inspections, however, involve complicated variabilities from a variety of sources and modeling all of the important ones, and especially human factors variabilities, would be difficult or impossible. Bruce Thompson's knowledge of physics, probability, statistics and industry needs gave him the insights to pioneer and subsequently serve as the leader in the important area that is now called "Model Assisted POD" or MAPOD. The basic idea of MAPOD is to find an appropriate combination of a physics-based model, combined with limited (usually by time and cost constraints) experimental data and statistical modeling to establish POD. This talk will outline Bruce Thompson's important contributions to this area.
Markers of increased aeration in the paranasal sinuses and along the skull base: association between anatomic variants.

BackgroundThere may be substantial variation in paranasal sinus pneumatization across patients and between right and left sides. Patients with extensive sinus aeration, especially of the sphenoid s...
Fringe Benefits or Salary

Is management wasting a large portion of its payroll in unnecessary payments? Is it time to evaluate incentive systems for salaried employees in broader terms than cash payments alone?A first step is to find out how important “fringe benefits” or nonsalary compensation plans are in the minds of employees. The author reports on a study carried out to answer this and related questions.
Monitoring, risk adjustment and strategies to decrease cesarean rates.

Cesarean rate as a clinical indicator for health care quality continues to be a focus of discussion and research among clinicians and health policy advocates. Over the review period, there were several studies regarding statistical strategies for monitoring and reporting cesarean rates, clinical and
Development of Data Acquisition Device Used for Power Transformer on-line Calibration

The design principle and structure of the data acquisition devices used for power transformer on-line calibration was described in this paper,design ideas and processes of the low-power software were introduced.A prototype of the low-power and high-speed and high-precision data acquisition device was developed,and did error and temperature characteristics experiments.The experiments show that the data acquisition device can acquire the output signal of standard voltage and current transformer used for on-line calibration,then carry out the digital signal in long distance transmission through optical fiber,reaching the purposes of calibrate the transformer online.
Survey on Safety of Medical X-ray Facilities in Aba Prefecture

Objective To investigate the allocation and safety of medical X-ray facilities in health agencies at prefecture,county and township level.Methods The field survey on allocation of medical X-ray facilities during 2003-2007 and detection of their safety were conducted.Results There were 92 X-ray machines of different type in the prefecture with the capacity of 100-500mA and the air kerma rate at the radiation site ranged from 0 to 0.168 mGY/h.The X-ray machines of 100mA in township health centers accounted for 38%.Eighty eight percent of the X-ray machines rooms were in ordinary houses,12% had been rebuilt according to the special requirement.The qualified rate of the X-ray machine room for county hospital and township health center was 61.50%.Conclusions The allocation of medical X-ray machine's capacity in prefecture,county and township medical agencies was basically reasonable.The machine rooms in most township health centers had not met the protection requirement,but the central air kerma rate was in safe level.
Exocrine interstitial insulin and somatostatin in the perfused dog pancreas

To determine whether the islet-acinar relationship is mediated microvascularly or by diffusion from islets, isolated dog pancreata were perfused anterogradely (n = 4) or retrogradely (n = 5). Interstitial fluid (ISF) was sampled utilizing a microdialysis technique. Three to five microdialysis probes were placed in the dorsal lobe of each pancreas. Insulin and somatostatin were measured in dialysate, as well as in perfusate, under both resting (5.6 mM glucose) and stimulated (12.2 mM glucose plus 20 mM arginine) conditions. During the stimulative period, retrograde ISF responses were markedly less than anterograde responses, whereas perfusate (intravascular) anterograde and retrograde responses were not different; ratios of the sum of increments above basal levels of ISF concentrations to the sum of increments of perfusate concentrations (sigma delta ISF/sigma delta perfusate) of insulin and somatostatin during anterograde vs. retrograde perfusion were 35.1 +/- 8.8 (SE; n = 9) vs. 13.8 +/- 2.8% (n = 10) an...
Further observations on the effect of cortisone and thyroxin on the blood picture of hypophysectomized rats.

In the article "Further Observations on the Effect of Cortisone and Thyroxin on the Blood Picture of Hypophysectomized Rats" by Howared A. Meineke and Roger C. Crafts, appearing in the January 1957 issue of BLOOD, the amount 5 ml. (page 12, line 17) should read 0.5 ml.
Theophylline compounds and myasthenia gravis. II. Clinical report of nine cases.

The clinical effects of oxtriphylline (Choledyl), a choline salt of theophylline, was investigated in 9 patients with myasthenia gravis. Five of the patients with severe generalized myasthenia were clinically refractory to anticholinesterase medication. In these patients, oxtriphylline (1) increased the level of strength when used alone, (2) potentiated the effects of the anticholinesterases in sorne patients for a variable period of time, (3) tended to prevent corticotropin-induced weakness when used with the latter, and, when both were used tagether (4) accelerated and intensified the beneficial effect of corticotropin. When used alone, oxtriphylline only partially alleviated the symptoms of myasthenia gravis. It had little effect in patients with mild symptoms and in those who responded reasonably well to anticholinesterase medication.
How Do Corporate Venture Capitalists Create Value for Entrepreneurial Firms

We analyze how corporate venture capitalists (CVCs) create value for entrepreneurial firms backed by them and how value creation by CVCs differs from that of independent venture capitalists (IVCs). Making use of a large data set consisting of a sample of CVC-backed and IVC-backed firms (starting from their first round of investment in an entrepreneurial firm and going well into the post-IPO market), we explore three related research questions: First, do CVCs exploit their knowledge and industry expertise when choosing portfolio firms, and invest in significantly different kinds of firms compared to independent venture capitalists (IVCs)? Second, do they succeed in creating greater product market value subsequent to investment compared to IVCs? Finally, do they allow portfolio firms to access the equity markets more efficiently? Our empirical findings indicate that there are two ways in which CVCs uniquely create value for entrepreneurial firms. First, CVC create value by investing significant amounts in younger and riskier firms involving pioneering technologies: since many such firms would not have received private equity financing from IVCs, these firms may not have been able to grow and mature without CVC funding. Second, CVCs seem to play an important role in signaling the true value of firms backed by them to three different constituencies: first, to IVCs, prompting them to co-invest in these firms pre-IPO; second, to various financial market players such as underwriters, institutional investors, and analysts, allowing them to access the equity market at an earlier stage in their life-cycle compared to firms backed by IVCs alone; and third, directly to IPO market investors, allowing CVC-backed firms to obtain higher IPO market valuations compared to the valuation of firms backed by IVCs alone.
“IT IS HIS IMAGE WITH PULQUE”: DRINKS, GIFTS, AND POLITICAL NETWORKING IN CLASSIC MAYA TEXTS AND IMAGES

Despite a widespread notion that feasting played a major role in the workings of Classic Maya polities, the very concept of feasting in the context of its textual and visual representations remains poorly defined and understood. The present paper reviews the ancient narratives in order to present a more nuanced interpretation of the consumption and display of exquisite food and drinks at the courts of Maya lords and nobles. It also considers some tangible evidence of the sociopolitical networks created through feasting by looking at the spatial distributions of signed serving vessels which changed hands as gifts.
Annual boom-bust cycles of polar phytoplankton biomass revealed by space-based lidar

Polar plankton communities are among the most productive, seasonally dynamic and rapidly changing ecosystems in the global ocean. However, persistent cloud cover, periods of constant night and prevailing low solar elevations in polar regions severely limit traditional passive satellite ocean colour measurements and leave vast areas unobserved for many consecutive months each year. Consequently, our understanding of the annual cycles of polar plankton and their interannual variations is incomplete. Here we use space-borne lidar observations to overcome the limitations of historical passive sensors and report a decade of uninterrupted polar phytoplankton biomass cycles. We find that polar phytoplankton dynamics are categorized by ‘boom–bust’ cycles resulting from slight imbalances in plankton predator–prey equilibria. The observed seasonal-to-interannual variations in biomass are predicted by mathematically modelled rates of change in phytoplankton division. Furthermore, we find that changes in ice cover dominated variability in Antarctic phytoplankton stocks over the past decade, whereas ecological processes were the predominant drivers of change in the Arctic. We conclude that subtle and environmentally driven imbalances in polar food webs underlie annual phytoplankton boom–bust cycles, which vary interannually at each pole. Phytoplankton productivity is high in the polar oceans. Lidar observations from 2006–2015 reveal that phytoplankton biomass was characterized by annual cycles influenced by sea-ice extent in the Antarctic and ecological processes in the Arctic.
II decorso longitudinale del disturbo di personalità borderline

Nonostante la straripante evidenza che il disturbo di personalita borderline (DPB) sia un grave problema per la salute pubblica, si conoscono poco gli esiti sintomatici e psicosociali a lunge termine. Ancor meno si conosce il perche alcuni individui con DPB facciano sostanziali progressi, qualcuno no e quaicuno commetta suicidio. Bisogna riconoscere che il nurnero di studi che prende in esame la prognosi delle persone con DPB e estremamente basso rispetto a quello delle ricerche condotte nel campo della schizofreuia o del disturbo bipolare. Ad oggi, sono stati condotti solamente 17 studi prospettici su scala limitata, a breve termine e 4 studi retrospettivi a lunge termine su vasta scala. Tuttavia, solo studi prospettici su piccola scala e a breve termine sui decorso del DPB saranno in grado di permettere una valutazione naturalistica degli esiti del disturbo cosi come dei fattori piu associati al miglioramento o alia mancanza della stesso. Nel decennio passato, sono stati condotti solamente due studi che rispondevano a questi criteri di rigorosita metodologica. In questa capitolo vengono rivisti i risultati di questi tre distinti gruppi di studi
Technology-Aided Instruction and Intervention for Students With ASD: A Meta-Analysis Using Novel Methods of Estimating Effect Sizes for Single-Case Research:

The adoption of methods and strategies validated through rigorous, experimentally oriented research is a core professional value of special education. We conducted a systematic review and meta-anal...
Fair Representation: Meeting the Ideal of One Man, One Vote. By Michel L. Balinski and H. Peyton Young

(1985). Fair Representation: Meeting the Ideal of One Man, One Vote. By Michel L. Balinski and H. Peyton Young. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 92, No. 4, pp. 302-303.
How does paid sick leave relate to health care affordability and poverty among US workers

Secondary data analysis on the 2015 National Health Interview Survey was conducted to determine if having paid sick leave increases the odds of being able to afford specific health care goods and services, and not having access to paid sick leave increases the odds of being in poverty, being food insecure and having elevated medical costs among a representative sample of US workers age 18-64. We found a statistically significant association between paid sick leave and ability to afford dental care, eyeglasses and prescription medication. Workers who lack paid sick leave are more likely than those with paid sick leave to be in poverty and have high medical costs. In conclusion, we found a relationship between paid sick leave benefits and being able to afford needed healthcare services and goods and being more vulnerable to economic hardship.
Focusing of a radially polarized, cylindrically symmetric, vector beam by a thin lens: Simplified analysis of the radial-to-axial polarization transformation and determination of the electromagnetic fields at and near focus

Abstract The radial-to-axial polarization transformation that accompanies the focusing of a cylindrically symmetric vector beam by a thin lens is analyzed by use of polarization ray tracing and wave optics. A simple expression for the axial electric field at focus is derived in terms of an integral of the incident radial electric field over the entrance pupil of the lens. Subsequently, from Maxwell’s equations, the near-axis radial electric field and azimuthal magnetic field in the focal plane are determined. Finally, the concept of wave impedance is invoked to obtain the electric field on-axis near focus.
Finding the Trans Voice: A Review of the Literature on Accommodating Transgender Singers:

Conversations surrounding transgender students are beginning to appear in the nation’s schools. In recent years, experts in the fields of music education and vocal pedagogy have shared their experi...
Loving God, Loving Others: The Sacred Among American Mainline Protestant Families

Quantitative research suggests a link between religion and increased relationship commitment, satisfaction, and quality in marriages and parenting. Less is known about the processes and meaning-mak...
Multiple-Variable Expansion Procedures

Various physical problems are characterized by the presence of a small disturbance which, because of being active over a long time, has a non-negligible cumulative effect. For example, the effect of a small damping force over many periods of oscillation is to produce a decay in the amplitude of a linear oscillator. A fancier example having the same physical and mathematical features is the motion of a satellite around the earth, where the dominant force is a spherically symmetric gravitational field. If this were the only force acting on the satellite the motion would (for sufficiently low energies) be periodic. The presence of a thin atmosphere, a slightly non-spherical earth, a small moon, a distant sun, etc. all produce small but cumulative effects which after a sufficient number of orbits drastically alter the nature of the motion.
Hydrogen and the Alkali Metals

On the basis of a standard density functional theory calculation using the LAPW method, neglecting any zero point motion effects, we find that the diamond lattice gives the lowest total energy. However, the calculations shown in the figure below are not realized experimentally at present, since hydrogen is known to be in a molecular state under normal conditions. There have been numerous predictions of the formation of metallic hydrogen at very high pressures with a possible room temperature superconductivity [1, 2]. Our calculation for the H2 molecule gives a bond length of 0.75076 A. Two sets of energy bands and densities of states are presented at the fcc equilibrium a = 4.363 a.u. and at a lattice constant a = 3.2 a.u. corresponding to a pressure of 4.7 Mbar, where high temperature superconductivity is predicted.
Understanding the molecular and genomic differences between primary germ cell tumors and late relapse.

e16542Background: Germ cell tumor (GCT) is the most common cancer effecting males aged 15 to 35. With the implementation of cisplatin-based chemotherapy and/or surgery, the cure rate in early-stage...
Evidentialism, Hope, and Wisdom: Are Evidentialist Theories of Wisdom Hopeless?

Wisdom is an important epistemic virtue. Do wise people follow the demands of evidentialism? W.K. Clifford, one of the most influential defenders of evidentialism, tells us to believe all and only what our evidence supports. Richard Feldman and Earl Conee, more moderate contemporary evidentialists, tell us to believe all and only what our evidence supports when our goal is to have epistemically justified beliefs. What if our goal is to achieve wisdom? Should we believe all and only what our evidence supports? Although having justified beliefs seems to be a requirement for wisdom, wisdom also seems to involve more epistemic boldness, intuitive insight, hope, and faith than evidentialism allows. That is, evidentialism seems far too cautious and confining for wisdom. This paper will explore the apparent tension between the demands of evidentialism and the achievement of wisdom. I will show that the demands of evidentialism, once properly understood, are essential to wisdom.
Asset-light business model: An examination of investment-cash flow sensitivities and return on invested capital

Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the asset-light business model on investment-cash flow sensitivities and return on invested capital in the lodging industry. Little research has explored the link between investment and asset ownership structure. The current study provides an alternative approach to examining investment behavior and return on invested capital, focusing on the unique characteristics of asset ownership among lodging firms. The findings of this study provide important implications for lodging investors and shareholders regarding the strategic use of the asset-light business model for aiding lodging firms’ efficient investments and delivering high return on invested capital.
Media language preferences and mental illness stigma among Latinx adolescents.

Media—a powerful influence on mental illness stigma—varies by language and culture. Nevertheless, recent meta-analyses have demonstrated scant attention to Spanish language media as well as historically low Latinx participation in mental illness anti-stigma intervention. To better inform how to improve equity in mental health service utilization, this study assessed how language preferences in mass media influence stigma among Latinx adolescents, compared to family language and social preferences. Sixth-graders self-identifying as Latinx self-completed assessments of mental illness knowledge/positive attitudes and desired separation from peers and adolescent vignette characters experiencing mental illness (N = 179; Texas, U.S., 2011–2012). Participants also responded to measures of language preferences (any Spanish versus only English) for consuming media (film/television, music/radio) and speaking with family (parents/grandparents), and social preferences for parties or social gatherings (Latinx versus Anglo persons). Linear regression models adjusting for student and household factors examined the associations between media and family language and social preferences on mental illness stigma. Latinx adolescents preferring any Spanish versus English-only media reported less mental illness knowledge/positive attitudes and greater social separation from peers and vignette characters with a mental illness, net of all covariates. Family language and social preferences were not associated with any mental illness stigma outcomes. Spanish media preference is associated with greater stigma suggesting more stigmatization may exist in Spanish- versus English-media. Ensuring anti-stigma messaging in Spanish media may reduce disparities in mental illness stigma among Latinx adolescents. These findings have implications for populations with other non-English media preferences.
Evaluating rectal swab collection method for gut microbiome analysis in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is increasingly used as an animal model for biomedical research; however, gastrointestinal diseases causing significant morbidity are endemic in many captive marmoset colonies. Establishing gut microbiome patterns in a marmoset colony may aid in clinical decision-making and model reproducibility. A standardized method of sample collection and storage is essential for proper interpretation of microbiome data. While microbiome studies commonly utilize fecal samples, the goal of this study was to determine whether the microbiome profile from a rectal swab performed on a sedated animal was comparable to the microbiome profile from a fecal sample. During routine physical exams, paired fecal and rectal swab samples were collected from each of 23 marmosets. DNA was extracted from all fecal and rectal swab samples and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences were amplified and analyzed. Initial comparison of the relative abundance of bacterial phyla between paired samples had a r2 value of 0.70 with S of 0.08 with no significant differences in α and β diversity metrics between fecal and rectal samples. Initial analysis however, revealed 5 discordant fecal-rectal pairs which corresponded only with the 5 rectal swabs that were classified as free of visible fecal matter during collection. Exclusion of these 5 pairs resulted in an optimized fit of the data as evidenced by a r2 value of 0.91 with S of 0.05. These results demonstrate that rectal swabs are a reliable method for profiling the fecal microbiome in the marmoset since the bacterial composition from a rectal swab with visible fecal contents correlated well with the bacterial composition from a fecal sample from the same marmoset. This study highlights the importance of standardized sample collection methods and exclusion of inappropriate samples.
Virginia Woolf Reads “Dover Beach”: Romance and the Victorian Crisis of Faith in To the Lighthouse

Amy Smith argues that Woolf’s To the Lighthouse engages with and revises Matthew Arnold’s beloved Victorian poem “Dover Beach,” which poignantly dramatizes man’s frailty in a universe being rapidly claimed by science. Woolf’s novel examines her parents’ troubled marriage within its cultural context as she critiques the intersection of the Victorian crisis of faith with the cult of domesticity. Mrs. Ramsay, who embodies both Arnold’s despairing male speaker and a divine female substitute for a lost God, illustrates the dangers of seeking consolations for religious anxieties in romance.
Differential occupational risk for COVID-19 and other infection exposure according to race and ethnicity.

Background There are racial and ethnic disparities in the risk of contracting COVID-19. This study sought to assess how occupational segregation according to race and ethnicity may contribute to the risk of COVID-19. Methods Data about employment in 2019 by industry and occupation and race and ethnicity were obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey. This data was combined with information about industries according to whether they were likely or possibly essential during the COVID-19 pandemic and the frequency of exposure to infections and close proximity to others by occupation. The percentage of workers employed in essential industries and occupations with a high risk of infection and close proximity to others by race and ethnicity was calculated. Results People of color were more likely to be employed in essential industries and in occupations with more exposure to infections and close proximity to others. Black workers in particular faced an elevated risk for all of these factors. Conclusion Occupational segregation into high-risk industries and occupations likely contributes to differential risk with respect to COVID-19. Providing adequate protections to workers may help to reduce these disparities.
Dissolved organic matter in large lakes: a key but understudied component of the carbon cycle

The world’s largest five freshwater lakes include tropical meromictic, temperate weakly stratified, and temperate holomictic lakes ranging in age from twenty-five million to ~ 10,000 years old. They contain > 50% of Earth’s surface liquid freshwater and 15% of Earth’s lake-water dissolved organic carbon. Large lakes, however, are understudied in terms of carbon cycling, including the roles of dissolved organic matter (DOM) as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), as chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and at the compound class or molecular level. Existing data show that the five largest lakes have lower DOC and CDOM concentrations and clearer water than the global lake median. In Baikal, Superior, and Michigan, however, CDOM is the main non-water absorber of visible light. DOM in these three lakes contain a large proportion of reworked, terrestrially-derived organic matter. Isotopic data for Lake Superior show that its DOM consists of carbon converted into organic matter in the previous decade, though it is difficult to resolve if this organic matter is terrestrial or autochthonous material. No DOC or CDOM characterization or reactivity data exist for the tropical large lakes. Large lakes seem to fall on a continuum with smaller lakes and ocean water, in which water residence time (WRT) and DOC age are linearly related and DOC concentration is negatively correlated with log(WRT). However, existing data are sparse and the mechanisms behind these trends remain to be determined.