cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single-Port Robotic Cholecystectomy in Pediatric Patients: Single Institution Experience.

Abstract Introduction: Modifications to conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy are aimed to decrease abdominal pain and improve cosmetic results. Single-port robotic cholecystectomy is a safe and feasible approach that has been reported in adults, though reports are limited in children. This study aims to report our experience with single-port robotic cholecystectomy in children, and to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and outcomes of this approach. Methods: After single-port robotic approach was available at our institution, we prospectively followed our patients who underwent a single-port robotic cholecystectomy from March 2013 to May 2015 in our children's hospital. Results: There were 14 patients [female 11 (79%) versus male 3 (21%)], the average age was 12.20 ± 4.97 years, with a mean body mass index of 28.01 ± 8.57 m/kg2. Of the 14 patients, 4 (29%) had cholelithiasis with choledocolithiasis and had undergone an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography before the operation, 6 (43%) had sy...
Development of “College CHEF,” a Campus-based Culinary Nutrition Program

ABSTRACTBackground: More than one third of college students are obese, with many lacking the knowledge and skills necessary to cook healthfully. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the PRECEDE–PROCEED model-driven primary and secondary needs assessments (PNA, SNA), which contributed to the development of the College CHEF. Methods: Staff members (n = 2) and freshmen students (n = 7) affiliated with a health-oriented living learning program (LLP) participated in interviews and a focus group. Students (n = 43) from college fitness courses completed a survey via Qualtrics. (1) Literature was reviewed to synthesize evidence-based programming strategies, results, and implications. (2) Focus group and interview responses were examined using comparative analysis. (3) Descriptive statistics were used to summarize cooking behaviors, barriers, and interest with cooking. Results: Focus group participants and the majority (88%) of survey respondents were interested in participating in programming. Conse...
The Solid/Liquid Interface

Studies at the solid/liquid interface have proved particularly valuable in improving our knowledge of the chemical physics of surfaces,(1) particularly when the rigid band model is appropriate. In such studies it is found possible to (a) determine the doping level, the band gap, the type (n or p), the minority carrier diffusion length,(2) and the behavior of flaws such as dislocations near the semiconductor surface, (b) determine the relative positions of band edges for various semiconductors, (c) determine the energy levels associated with well-behaved surface species relative to these band edges, and (d) relate these energy levels to the chemical properties (particularly the redox potential) of the foreign species.
An Extended Abstract: What Drives Consumer Behaviors Expressed on Social Media? An Examination of Engagement and Source Credibility

With 74 % of online adults using social networking sites (SNSs) (Duggan et al. 2015) and the average American spending over 22 h per week on these platforms (Ipsos 2013), marketers have become acutely aware of the opportunity that social media offers as a promotional tool. Social media allow organizations to engage in timely and direct end-consumer contact at a relatively low cost, making the new promotional tool not only relevant for large multinational companies, but for virtually all organizations, including small- and medium-sized companies (Kaplan and Haenlein 2010). Indeed, an estimated 97 % of marketers are using social media marketing, and 92 % indicate social media is important to their business (Stelzner 2014).
Friends and Strangers: The Making of a Creole Culture in Colonial Pennsylvania by John Smolenski

Pennsylvanians have prided themselves on the story of their founding almost since the founding itself. The story of William Penn’s great experiment of religious freedom and harmonious relations with the native inhabitants is an often-told tale, recognizable by many, from grade schools to the ivory towers, and immortalized in paintings from the eighteenth century to videogames in the twenty-first. But is our creation story just that, a story, steeped in myth just as the wolf-raised Romulus? In Friends and Strangers , John Smolenski finds that, “in its first decades” Pennsylvania was anything but the “‘peaceable kingdom’ of myth and legend” and seeks to separate fact from myth.
Impact of Tax and Expenditure Limits on Local Government Use of Tax-supported Debt:

This study seeks to broaden our understanding of the impact tax and expenditure limits (TELs) have had on local governments. We chose to focus on local government use of tax-supported debt as TELs ...
Phylogenetic Tests of a Cercopithecus Monkey Hybrid Reveal X-Chromosomal Polyphyly of C. cephus and Emerging Patterns in the Cephus Species Group Radiation

A captive Cercopithecus nictitans x C. cephus male was examined at loci on the X- and Y-chromosomes as a test of previously described phylogenetic methods for identifying hybrid Cercopithecus monkeys. The results confirm the reliability of such assays, indicating that they can be of immediate utility for studies of wild populations in Gabon, where the two species have hybridised. A closer examination of the resultant sex chromosomal topologies, combined with recent mitochondrial studies, reveals two emerging patterns in the evolution of the cephus species group. First, all three genetic systems (X-DNA, Y-DNA and mtDNA) agree that the earliest divergence separates West African from Central African species, consistent with a major faunal transition zone in the vicinity of the Cross River. Second, the X-DNA and mtDNA trees reveal polyphyly of C. cephus lineages. It is unclear at present whether these polyphylies are due to ancestral hybridisation or incomplete lineage sorting, or both.
Fresh Properties and Early Compressive Strength of Alkali-Activated High Calcium Fly Ash Paste

This paper reports the influence of high calcium content in alkali-activated fly ash (AAFA) paste mixtures on the compressive strength, setting time, and workability. Class C fly ash was used to prepare alkali-activated paste mixtures. Four different sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide ratios of 2.5, 1.5, 1.0, and 0.5 were used as alkaline activators with a constant sodium hydroxide concentration of 10 M. Two curing regimes were also applied, oven curing at (70 °C) for 24 h, and ambient temperature at (23 ± 2 °C). The delay time between mixing and starting curing the specimens in the oven regime is 2 h. The compressive strength of the specimens was tested at 7 days for both curing regimes. The results showed that the fresh AAFA pastes had shorter setting time and lower workability with increasing the ratio of alkaline activators to fly ash ratio. However, the compressive strength of hardened AAFA was increased when the ratio of alkaline activators to fly ash ratio increased. A water to fly ash ratio of 0.3 with alkaline activators to fly ash ratio of 0.25, which displayed a balance between the fresh and hardened AAFA properties. The optimum sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide ratios were 1.0 for ambient curing and 1.5 for oven curing. The compressive strength of AAFA has reached up to 8 ksi after 7 days for ambient curing and 10 ksi for oven curing with initial setting time of approximately 180 min.
Chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention: Evidence and controversies

Coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs) are defined as 100% occlusions with TIMI (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction) 0 flow with at least a 3‐month duration.[1][1] Treatment options for patients with coronary CTOs include lifestyle changes and medications (as is appropriate for all patients
No More to Wonder What You Are

Now we are ready to apply the physics we have learned toward understanding the structure and evolution of stars. Our approach to this will be to track the progress of a star like the sun on a standard H-R diagram as it passes through the various stages in its evolution. The sun is a relatively light weight star. Heavier stars will follow a somewhat different course, but the physical processes are essentially the same. For this purpose, we use the diagram in Fig. 19.1. The range of temperatures is quite large, therefore, it will be convenient to use a logarithmic temperature scale. For reference, we show the main-sequence on the diagram.
ELKS active zone proteins as multitasking scaffolds for secretion

Synaptic vesicle exocytosis relies on the tethering of release ready vesicles close to voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and specific lipids at the future site of fusion. This enables rapid and efficient neurotransmitter secretion during presynaptic depolarization by an action potential. Extensive research has revealed that this tethering is mediated by an active zone, a protein dense structure that is attached to the presynaptic plasma membrane and opposed to postsynaptic receptors. Although roles of individual active zone proteins in exocytosis are in part understood, the molecular mechanisms that hold the protein scaffold at the active zone together and link it to the presynaptic plasma membrane have remained unknown. This is largely due to redundancy within and across scaffolding protein families at the active zone. Recent studies, however, have uncovered that ELKS proteins, also called ERC, Rab6IP2 or CAST, act as active zone scaffolds redundant with RIMs. This redundancy has led to diverse synaptic phenotypes in studies of ELKS knockout mice, perhaps because different synapses rely to a variable extent on scaffolding redundancy. In this review, we first evaluate the need for presynaptic scaffolding, and we then discuss how the diverse synaptic and non-synaptic functional roles of ELKS support the hypothesis that ELKS provides molecular scaffolding for organizing vesicle traffic at the presynaptic active zone and in other cellular compartments.
FREQUENT SUPRAVENTRICULAR PREMATURE COMPLEXES AS A PREDICTION OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Frequent supraventricular premature complexes (SPVCs) are associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Recent studies suggest that frequent SPVCs is associated with new onset atrial fibrillation (AF). However, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature has not been done. We assessed
Benchmarking the Agent Descriptivity of Parallel Multi-agent Simulators

Agent-based models (ABMs) need to populate a mega number of agents over a scalable simulation space in order to handle practical problems, (e.g., metropolitan traffic simulation and nationwide epidemic prediction). Although parallel and distributed simulation have steadily addressed their computational needs, non-computing scientists still tend to use GUI-rich, easy-to-use ABM interpretive platforms. This paper intends to identify the difficulty in using the current parallel ABM simulators and to propose their future improvements. For this purpose, we surveyed different ABM applications, modeled them as seven benchmark test cases, used them to analyze the agent descriptivity of parallel ABM simulators, and evaluated their execution performance affected by the current implementations.
The spatial characteristics of stand structure in Pinus torreyana.

The arrangement of trees within a stand by location and age (stand structure) is in part determined by the life history strategy of the species and the disturbance history of the stand. In western North America such disturbances are often the product of wildfires and human management activities. The current study uses spatial analysis to characterize three stands of Pinus torreyana with known disturbance histories. Two stands are located at Torrey Pines State Reserve (TPSR). Of these, one stand has burned twice since 1972. Fire has been successfully excluded from the other stand since the early part of this century. A third stand, on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park (SRI), has been grazed heavily since the mid-19th century and has not experienced fire since that time. One-hectare study plots were established in the interior of each stand. Considering the known life history attributes of P. torreyana, and the disturbance histories of the stands, predictions are made concerning the spatial characteristics of the respective stands. All trees within each study plot were sized by diameter breast height (DBH) and mapped. Three techniques of spatial analysis are applied to the resulting unweighted point pattern distributions and the distributions weighted by the square root of DBH as a surrogate for age. The results are consistent with predictions and confirm the following generalizations concerning patterns of aggregation in Torrey pine stands. Young trees tend to be more aggregated than old trees within the same stands. Young stands tend to be more aggregated than old stands on otherwise ecologically similar sites. On a periodically disturbed site there are clusters of trees that represent cohorts of post-disturbance recruitment.
Insect Diversity, Life History, and Trophic Dynamics in Arctic Streams, with Particular Emphasis on Black Flies (Diptera: Simuliidae)

Streams in Arctic Alaska typically have very low levels of inorganic nutrients, low levels of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM), no influence of woody debris, and high concentrations of dissolved organic matter due to leaching from the peat soils which they drain. Overall stream habitat diversity in tundra regions is fairly low, mainly consisting of first-fourth order streams flowing over boulder, cobble, and peat substrata. These habitats are not shaded, except for some dwarf willows along the riparian corridors.
A Trip to the Dentist

The fluoridation of water in many US communities is estimated to have saved between $16 and $19 per person per year [1]. The cumulative effects of these savings, measured against an average per person annual cost of $0.50 per person, are enormous. And yet, in the past few years, several communities are discontinuing water fluoridation, with some politicians arguing that the introduction of fluoride should be a personal and individual decision, not one made by government [2]. Now, fluoridation has joined other hot-button topics in the debate about government’s role in healthcare policy.
Robust Control of Power Networks under Worst-Case Load and Renewables Uncertainty

Demand disturbances, deviations in wind-speed, and solar irradiance, and uncertainty in renewable energy generation are some of the most critical challenges that impede stable operation of power grids. The objective of this paper is to derive robust control laws that steer an uncertain multimachine power network to a region of the grid's operating point. A fourth-order synchronous generator model is used, and the power-flow integrated network dynamics under uncertainty are derived. Then, feedback control law is obtained guaranteeing resilience against worst-case uncertainty in demand and renew-ables generation. The control laws are then applied to the nonlinear differential algebraic model of a power network. Results illustrate the control laws succeed in curbing high-magnitude disturbances from loads and renewable energy sources with minimal impact on the grid's frequency and voltage.
Influence of Rubbery versus Glassy Backbone Dynamics on Multiscale Transport in Polymer Membranes

To determine the effects of polymer backbone dynamics on water and salt permeation in water purification membranes, we investigate the fundamental transport and sorption properties of two series of chemically similar copolymers: methacrylate-based copolymers that are glassy at room temperature and acrylate-based copolymers that are rubbery at room temperature. Water diffusion measurements made as a function of diffusion time using pulsed-field-gradient NMR diffusometry provide information about hydrophilic network heterogeneity in the copolymers. These time-dependent measurements enable us to parse tortuosity into two regimes, the nanometer-to-bulk and micrometer-to-bulk ranges, enhancing insight into the influence of copolymer morphology on bulk transport. Combining NMR diffusometry and water and salt sorption and transport measurements, we find that the glassy methacrylate copolymers exhibit greater water–salt selectivity than the acrylate copolymers. These differences likely arise from sub-micrometer p...
Personality Counselor Perspective Buya Hamka (Study Of Interpretation Of Al-Azhar Verses Advice)

Abstrac t - Talking about the counselor's problem is inseparable from his duty to bring his client to life that is blessed by Allah SWT, and the counselor is able to realize the lifestyle in words, behavior, and mood, so that what the counselor gives to the client provides guidance for the counselor at the same time also become a good practicing in the teachings of Islam. Therefore, it is very important for the counselor to be kind and noble in accordance with what is taught by Islam in the Qur'an and hadith. Hamka as the interpreter of the Qur'an has explained the character and ethics of the counselor. Studying a meaning in the Qur'an certainly requires knowledge and knowledge, and all of that is inseparable from the interpretation of several scholars through the existing interpretive books, one of which examines Hamka's thoughts on the verses that contain the words of advice and irsyad in Tafseer Al-Azhar . Islamic guidance and counseling according to Hamka is a teaching process for someone (client) who does not know or who needs help in a gentle and sincere way to enforce amar ma'ruf and nahi munkar. The character of the counselor according to Hamka in the verses of advice and irsyad, namely: Patient, generous and wise, intelligent, not despairing, not arrogant, humble, compassion and empathy. Whereas counselor ethics according to Hamka in advice verses and irsyad, namely: Openness, religion, amar ma'ruf nahi munkar, and enthusiasm. Keywords - Advice and Irshad , Counselor Personality, Counselor
Abstract 350: Bcl-xL-Ser14 Phosphorylation is Critical for Compensatory Cardiac Hypertrophy

Cardiac hypertrophy is an adaptive response at least initially since it reduces wall stress. Phosphorylation of Bcl-xL at Serine (Ser) 14, which dissociates Bcl-xL from Bax and promotes apoptosis, ...
Tantalum strength at extreme strain rates from impact-driven Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities.

Recently, Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) experiments driven by high explosives and fielded with perturbations on a free surface have been used to study strength at extreme strain rates and near zero pressure. The RMI experiments reported here used impact loading, which is experimentally simpler, more accurate to analyze, and which also allows the exploration of a wider range of conditions. Three experiments were performed on tantalum at shock stresses from 20 to 34 GPa, with six different perturbation sizes at each shock level, making this the most comprehensive set of strength-focused RMI experiments reported to date on any material. The resulting estimated average strengths of 1200--1400 MPa at strain rates of ${10}^{7}/\mathrm{s}$ exceeded, by 40% or more, a common power law extrapolation from data at strain rates below ${10}^{4}/\mathrm{s}$. Taken together with other data in the literature that show much higher strength at simultaneous high rates and high pressure, these RMI data isolated effects and indicated that, in the range of conditions examined, the pressure effects are more significant than rate effects.
New directions in socioscientific issues research

The socioscientific issues framework has proven to have a significant impact over the last two decades on many areas related to the development of functional scientific literacy in students. In this article, we summarize and synthesize recent trends in socioscientific issues research that impact both disciplinary and interdisciplinary science education research. These trends represent science-in-context investigations that we propose are advanced by three broad and interrelated areas of research including: 1) Socioscientific Issues and the Central Role of Socioscientific Reasoning; 2) Socioscientific Issues and the Primacy of Socioscientific Perspective Taking; and, 3) Socioscientific Issues and the Importance of Informal and Place-Based Contexts. We discuss the most recent research in those areas and explore the educational significance these new trends.
Exceptionality in Spanish Onset Clusters

Spanish complex onsets have been traditionally described as consisting of a stop (/p, t, k, b, d, g/) or the fricative /f/ plus a liquid. Given that all Spanish varieties have other fricatives (/x, s/), the obstruents that can form part of an onset cluster do not straightforwardly compose a natural class. As such, past studies have argued that /f/ is exceptional in its ability as a fricative to pattern with stops in onset clusters. This paper presents empirical data from a nonce word judgment task that challenges this claim and shows that Spanish listeners rate unattested /xr/ clusters as more acceptable than ungrammatical /sr/ clusters. These results suggest that /s/, and not /f/, is exceptional in its inability to form complex onsets in Spanish. As /s/ is the sole sibilant in the Spanish consonant inventory and is uniquely characterized by the feature [strident], this generalization is easily capturable in an Optimality Theory framework. This analysis further predicts that other non-sibilant fricatives should also be acceptable in onset cluster position, such as /θ/, which is supported by data from a follow-up study with speakers of Peninsular Spanish who have this phoneme in their dialect. This analysis also predicts that other sibilants should be unacceptable in onset clusters. This is supported by data from the related languages Portuguese and Catalan that have other sibilant phonemes (/z, ʃ, ʒ/)yet also have similar onset cluster phonotactics as Spanish in that they disallow all sibilants from being in an onset cluster.
Top hadrons in Lorentz-violating field theory

If there is Lorentz symmetry violation in the $t$ quark sector of the standard model, changes to particles' dispersion relations might allow for the existence of stable top-flavored hadrons. Observations of the survival of high-energy $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-rays over astrophysical distances can be used to place constraints on Lorentz violation coefficients in the $t$ sector at $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}--{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ levels of precision.
Detection of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by an artificial intelligence electrocardiogram in children and adolescents

Abstract Background There is no established screening approach for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We recently developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model for the detection of HCM based on the 12‑lead electrocardiogram (AI-ECG) in adults. Here, we aimed to validate this approach of ECG-based HCM detection in pediatric patients (age ≤ 18 years). Methods We identified a cohort of 300 children and adolescents with HCM (mean age 12.5 ± 4.6 years, male 68%) who had an ECG and echocardiogram at our institution. Patients were age- and sex-matched to 18,439 non-HCM controls. Diagnostic performance of the AI-ECG model for the detection of HCM was estimated using the previously identified optimal diagnostic threshold of 11% (the probability output derived by the model above which an ECG is considered to belong to an HCM patient). Results Mean AI-ECG probabilities of HCM were 92% and 5% in the case and control groups, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the AI-ECG model for HCM detection was 0.98 (95% CI 0.98–0.99) with corresponding sensitivity 92% and specificity 95%. The positive and negative predictive values were 22% and 99%, respectively. The model performed similarly in males and females and in genotype-positive and genotype-negative HCM patients. Performance tended to be superior with increasing age. In the age subgroup Conclusions A deep-learning, AI model can detect pediatric HCM with high accuracy from the standard 12‑lead ECG.
Availability of multi-object operations

Highly-available distributed storage systems are commonly designed to optimize the availability of individual data objects, despite the fact that user level tasks typically request multiple objects. In this paper, we show that the assignment of object replicas (or fragments, in the case of erasure coding) to machines plays a dramatic role in the availability of such multi-object operations, without affecting the availability of individual objects. For example, for the TPC-H benchmark under real-world failures, we observe differences of up to four nines between popular assignments used in existing systems. Experiments using our wide-area storage system prototype, MOAT, on the PlanetLab, as well as extensive simulations, show which assignments lead to the highest availability for a given setting.
Protecting the Freedom of Transit of Petroleum: Transnational Lawyers Making (up) International Law in the Caspian

Over the past decade, U.S.-based energy-sector law firms have negotiated the legal architecture, financing, and construction of Central Asia's BakuTbilisi-Ceyhan ("BTC") oil pipeline in fulfillment of an oil project that analysts have dubbed the "contract of the century." Regional organizations decry the usual litany of economic, human rights, and environmental costs universally associated with big oil. The pipeline's most striking feature, however, is the way the deal was made. Instead of using merely contract instruments, the law firms crafted an international treaty that invokes a "principle of the freedom of transit of Petroleum" which, inter alia, chills development of local regulatory regimes, dodges challenges posed by the recent surge in human rights cases following Doe v. Unocal, and upends international law's central tenet of sovereignty through radically asymmetrical terms and wholesale transfer of land and other
Dielectric modulators using the space - charge capacitance of junction diodes

DIELECTRIC AMPLIFIERS and modulators that use voltage-sensitive capacitors have been extensively described. In general, the capacitors employed were constructed of ferroelectric materials. This paper describes a dc-to-ac converter that employs the voltage-sensitive capacitance of silicon-junction diodes.
Family Unity and Refugee Protection

This chapter, after introducing the issues that arise in discussions of family unity and examining the role of the family in refugee protection, reviews the position of the refugee family in international law, both in relation to the right to family unity and the issue of family reunification. It then examines how these legal norms have been reflected in State practice, through the legal framework on the one hand, and policy and practice on the other hand. The chapter concludes by reviewing the emerging consensus on family reunification as a right of refugees.
Possible induction of West syndrome by oxcarbazepine therapy in a patient with complex partial seizures

Oxcarbazepine has been reported to precipitate myoclonic, generalised tonic-clonic, absence, and complex partial seizures, and carbamazepine to precipitate absences, myoclonic seizures and spasms. Here, we report a one-year, six-month-old girl with complex partial seizures who developed infantile spasms, developmental regression, and hypsarrhythmia during the two weeks directly following initiation of oxcarbazepine (14 mg/kg/day). All of these resolved within a few days after discontinuation of this medication. Although we cannot rule out that the above association may have been coincidental, or that the improvement may have been due to concurrent therapy, this case raises the possibility that oxcarbazepine, like carbamazepine, may precipitate infantile spasms and West syndrome.
Cross-validation of genetic and genomic predictions of temperament in Nellore–Angus crossbreds

Abstract The objective of this study was to cross-validate predictions of genomic merit for overall temperament at weaning (TEMP) by alternative partitioning of training and validation sets in a Nellore–Angus crossbred population. Nellore–Angus F2 calves (embryo transfer and natural service reciprocal crosses), paternal half-siblings to the embryo transfer calves, and F3 calves had records for TEMP (subjectively scored on a 1 to 9 scale). Calves with DNA available were genotyped on the Illumina Bovine SNP50 version 1 and 2 assays, and, after quality control filtering, there were 34,913 SNP markers available for use. Calves with TEMP records and genotypes (n=769; mean±std of all TEMP records is 3.975±2.062) were used in this study. BayesB procedures with π =0.997 were used to obtain direct genomic values (DGV) with alternative partitioning of data into training and validation sets utilizing the family structure of this population. Training was conducted (scenarios 1–4) using the progeny of all but one of the four sire or grandsires, (5) using only F2 progeny, (6) by random assignment, and (7) using only embryo transfer F2 and natural service half-sibling cattle. In random assignment, the number of animals included in the validation population was the average of scenarios 1–5. The DGV generated in these training and validation sets were compared to traditional, pedigree-based breeding values from an animal model with equivalent training and validation sets. The training model included fixed effects of sex, birth year-season combination, and temperament scoring pen nested in birth year-season combination. Standardized accuracies were higher for DGV using BayesB procedures (0.226 on average) compared to EBV using a traditional pedigree-based animal model (0.122 average). Random allocation of individuals into training and validation groups resulted in the highest accuracies for DGV (0.503) and EBV (0.354) of the validation groups. Overall, accuracies of animals in validation groups were low (i.e., less than 0.35) using genomic predictions, which could be due to inadequate sample size, insufficient marker density, or limited relationship between individuals in the training and validation populations. The genomic method generated unique DGV among full- and half-siblings within families whereas pedigree-based prediction results in identical EBV among full-siblings. This is of particular interest for the cattle industry as genomic methods can provide more plausible estimates of genetic merit for crossbred or purebred cattle without records, even if the initial accuracy is low.
DEFORMATION LIMIT STATES FOR CIRCULAR REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE COLUMNS

Through the use of moment-curvature analysis of circular bridge columns, dimensionless serviceability and damage control curvature relationships are developed that depend only on the column axial load ratio and section diameter. These relationships are used to establish curvature, displacement ductility, drift ratio, and equivalent viscous damping capacities for the design limit states considered. It is shown that current code-based design approaches, which imply a constant ductility factor, will generally result in damage levels that are highly variable. The paper also discusses implications of the study on limit-states design approaches such as displacement-based design.
Divided Visual Attention and Left Hemisphere Activation Among Psychopathic and Nonpsychopathic Offenders

Recent divided attention studies suggest the impulsive antisocial behavior of psychopaths may be related to deficient processing of information under conditions that place substantial demands on left-hemisphere-specific processing resources (left hemisphere activation (LHA) hypothesis; D. S. Kosson [1996, 1998]). To examine performance under conditions constraining eye movements and covert shifts of attention, 26 psychopathic and 46 nonpsychopathic inmates completed a divided attention task in which lateralized stimuli appeared briefly and simultaneously in the left visual field (LVF) and right visual field (RVF) of a monitor. Targets were either presented primarily in the RVF to induce LHA or were equiprobable in LVF and RVF to promote equal activation (EA) of left and right hemisphere resources. Psychopaths were less accurate than nonpsychopaths only under LHA conditions; within-group comparisons also revealed a substantial decrement from EA to LHA only in psychopaths. Thus, psychopaths’ performance deficits were specific to conditions priming left hemisphere resources asymmetrically.
Characteristics of high Rayleigh number two-dimensional convection in an open-top porous layer heated from below

Using a control-volume method and the simpler algorithm, we computed steady-state and time-dependent solutions for two-dimensional convection in an open-top porous box, up to a Rayleigh number of 1100. The evolution of the convective system from onset to high Rayleigh numbers is characterized by two types of transitions in the flow patterns. The first type is a decrease in the horizontal aspect ratio of the cells. We observe two such bifurcations. The first occurs at Ra = 107.8 when the convective pattern switches from a steady one-cell roll to a steady two-cell roll. The second occurs at Ra ≈ 510 when an unsteady two-cell roll evolves to a steady four-cell roll. The second type of transition is from a steady to an unsteady pattern and we also observe two of these bifurcations. The first occurs at Ra ≈ 425 in the two-cell convective pattern; the second at Ra ≈ 970 in the four-cell pattern. Both types of bifurcations are associated with an increase in the average vertical convective heat transport. In the bi-cellular solutions, the appearance of non-periodic unsteady convection corresponds to the onset of the expected theoretical scaling Nu ∝ Ra and also to the onset of plume formation. Although our highest quadri-cellular solutions show signs of non-periodic convection, they do not reach the onset of plume formation. An important hysterisis loop exists for Rayleigh numbers in the range 425–505. Unsteady convection appears only in the direction of increasing Rayleigh numbers. In the decreasing direction, steady quadri-cellular flow patterns prevail.
Diferenças de gênero na República Dominicana, 1994-2004: dois passos à frente, um passo para trás?

The slowly changing nature of the gender gap responds both to significant social changes, such as urbanization, education, the entry of women into the labor force, and democratization, as well as to concerted efforts by social movements and political leaders to broaden women’s right. These factors have clearly played an important role in the Dominican Republic over this past decade, impacting the country’s gender gap. We assess the nature and evolution of the Dominican Republic’s gender gap over the 1994-2004 period employing data taken from four nationwide public opinion surveys in the Dominican Republic – the Demos surveys – conducted in 1994, 1997, 2001, and 2004. The analysis of these surveys indicates that elements of what has been termed a traditional gender gap remain in place in the country with regard to civic engagement, political interest, and attitudes toward democracy. At the same time, this gap disappeared with regard to voter participation in elections and a modern gender gap emerged for the first time with regard to attitudes about the role of women in politics. Age and education have consistent and substantial differential effects across the attitudinal profiles of Dominican men and women over this time period.
The in vivo function of a noncanonical TRAF2-binding domain in the C-terminus of CD40 in driving B-cell growth and differentiation

The recruitment of tumor necrosis factor receptor–associated factors (TRAFs) 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 to the CD40 cytoplasmic tail upon CD40 trimerization results in downstream signaling events that ultimately lead to CD40-dependent, thymus-dependent (TD) humoral immune responses. Previously, we have shown signaling through the C-terminal tail of CD40 in the absence of canonical TRAF-binding sites is capable of signaling through an alternative TRAF2-binding site. Here, we demonstrate that B cells from mice harboring CD40 with only the C-terminal tail can activate both canonical and noncanonical NFκB signaling pathways. Moreover, while lacking germinal center formation, several hallmarks of humoral immune responses including clonal B-cell activation/expansion, antibody isotype switching, and affinity maturation remain normal. This study demonstrates a new functional domain in CD40 that controls critical aspects of B-cell immunity in an in vivo setting.
Trace elements in the Allende meteorite—III. Coarse-grained inclusions revisited

Radiochemical neutron activation analytic determinations of several elements in coarse-grained inclusions of the Allende meteorite are reported. The condensation and fractionation behavior of these and other elements are described. Evidence was found for a post-accretion thermal event which redistributed some trace elements. The solar system ratio of Zr/Hf is computed on the basis of the minimum variation in the inclusion, and the percentage of high-temperature condensates in the earth and moon are calculated on the basis of the mean U content of the inclusions. The mean value of the enrichment factors of 21 refractory elements relative to C1 chondrites is provided, and the elements that did or did not condense in a solid solution of melilite are listed.
Development of models for analyzing the load-following performance of microturbines and fuel cells

Abstract Utility restructuring, technology evolution, public environmental policy, and expanding power demand are providing the opportunity for microturbines and fuel cells to become important energy resources. Deregulation has begun to allow for the provision of various ancillary services, such as load-following. In order to investigate the ancillary services ability of these units in distribution systems, new simulation tools are needed. This paper presents simplified slow dynamic models for microturbines and fuel cells. Their stand-alone dynamic performances are analyzed and evaluated. A distribution system embedded with a microturbine plant and an integrated fuel cell power plant is used as an example. The control strategy and load-following service in this distribution system are simulated. It is illustrated that microturbines and fuel cells are capable of providing load-following service, significantly enhancing their economic value.
Experience offering a course centered on cyberporn

In Spring Semester 2007 our small liberal arts college offered a new course, Computer Science 150, Cyberporn: A Seminar in Computing and Society. I proposed and taught the course as a one-hour seminar style course with no prerequisite. This paper describes the course, including motivation and student response.
Predictability of Aid: Do Fickle Donors Undermine Aid Effectiveness?

Aid recipients and donors alike frequently voice concerns about the lack of predictability of development aid. The existing literature often treats predictability and volatility as closely related, but this paper shows that they are conceptually and empirically distinct. Using two main data sources, we demonstrate that, contrary to common belief, lack of predictability typically involves managing both aid shortfalls and windfalls, and hampers aid management even in countries with stable implementation of macroeconomic policies. Although regression analysis of the sources of low predictability for a large panel picks up two indicators that could be seen as justifying unexpected revisions in aid disbursements, a large unexplained residual remains for which we cannot identify a link between low predictability and aid effectiveness concerns by donors. Using detailed data from IMF programmes, we demonstrate the significant costs of low predictability of budget aid in relatively well performing recipient countries. Deviations of disbursed from expected budget aid of more than 1% of GDP on average are absorbed asymmetrically: aid shortfalls lead to debt accumulation and cuts in investment spending, whereas aid windfalls help reduce debt but also lead to additional government consumption. Lack of predictability thus shifts government spending from investment to consumption activities. — Oya Celasun and Jan Walliser
Incidence and Diversity of Neotyphodium Fungal Endophytes in Tall Fescue from Morocco, Tunisia, and Sardinia

There is a premium on having Neotyphodium germplasm available for temperate grass improvement programs because these fungal endophytes present opportunities for developing new grass-endophyte combinations for enhanced tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Unfortunately, surveys have revealed a low incidence of Neotyphodium fungi in grass germplasm collections. This research surveyed tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) accessions from a 1994 Australian-U.S. plant-collection trip to Morocco, Tunisia, and Italy (Sardinia) for viable Neotyphodium fungi and determined whether infected accessions harhor different Neotyphodium genotypes. Conidial measurements of isolates cultured on agar and bioassays of the differential survival of bird cherry-oat aphid [Rhopalosiphum padi (L.)] on infected accessions were used to characterize Neotyphodium diversity. A secondary objective determined the consistency of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to detect Neotyphodium fungi in tall fescue. Neotyphodium was detected in 336 of 439 plants (76.5%) distributed among 104 accessions, of which 99 were endophyteinfected. Mean conidial lengths of 42 isolates ranged from 3.91 to 9.91 μm. Most of the isolates (71.4%) had conidia with mean lengths smaller than the lower limit (6.5 μm) characteristic of the tall fescue endophyte N. coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and Gams) Glenn. Bacon, and Hanlin. In aphid assays, all endophyte-free plants were susceptible to R. padi and all but two infected plants were resistant to this aphid. Thus, a Mediterranean plant-coliection trip secured diverse Neotyphodium endophytes in tall fescue for storage in seed banks, and a PCR assay detected Neotyphodium in tall fescue plants of diverse geographical origin.
On grain boundaries in nickel-rich Ni3Al

Etude par microscopie electronique a transmission et diffraction electronique des joints de grains apres recuit dans l'alliage Ni 3 Al contenant ou non 0,35% at. de bore. Observation dans l'alliage non dope d'une phase desordonnee (jusqu'a 20 nm de large) le long de certains joints de grains. En presence de bore, cette phase couvre tous les joints
NH3 adsorption on Ni(110) and the production of the NH2 species by electron irradiation

Abstract The adsorption of NH 3 on Ni(110) has been examined using electron stimulated desorption ion angular distribution (ESDIAD), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS). At ∼ 85 K the NH 3 molecule enters into a series of chemisorption and physisorption states whose structures have been partially characterized by means of ESDIAD and LEED. Upon heating, these NH 3 states desorb without dissociation; for adsorption below 300 K there is essentially no thermal decomposition. The ammonia adiayer was found to be extremely sensitive to electron irradiation effects. Evidence was found to support the irradiation induced conversion of NH 3 (ads) to an amido intermediate, nh 2(ads) . The NH 2 adsorbs with its C 2v axis normal to the surface and its NH bonds aligned along the [001] and [001] directions. In the absence of further electron irradiation the nh 2(ads) species is stable to 375 K whereupon it dissociates to N (ads) and H 2(g) . The remaining N (ads) desorbs near 750 K with significant attractive N…N interaction. No evidence is found for an imido intermediate, nh (ads) . nh 2(ads) also undergoes a disproportionation/recombination reaction upon heating to produce an additional NH 3 desorption state. A significant isotope effect for NH versus ND scission, sensitive to the adsorption state of the ammonia, is found to occur upon electron irradiation.
Parental Characteristics of Mexican American Children Participating in a Pilot Overweight Prevention Program (bienestar Program).

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: Parent intervention in low income and ethnic communities is important if improving health status for children is to be achieved Since overweight is a well known risk factor for diabetes, overweight prevention programs for primary prevention of diabetes should be explored. The Bienestar Health Program is a school-based overweight prevention program targeting Mexican American children in poor school districts. This study will describe parental characteristics of Mexican American children participating in the Bienestar Health Program. The Health Program is a pilot overweight program developed for fourth grade Mexican American children and presently being tested in a catholic elementary school located in a poor school district. Baseline data including anthropometric measures, a 3 day 24-hour dietary recall and a knowledge-psychosocial survey were collected from 35 parents (males=12,females=23) between the ages of 30–50 years. All 35 of the parents had at least one risk factor for diabetes and one-third had both. Fifty-five percent of the parents self-reported that either his/her father or mother were diagnosed by a physician with diabetes and 51 % of the parents had a BMI > 27. Twenty-nine percent of die parents had both family history and overweight. Furthermore, 70% of parents consumed diets > 30% of kilocalories from fat/day and 55 % of parents consumed These data indicate that parents of Mexican American children living in poor neighborhoods have high risk factors for diabetes. Thus, school-based overweight prevention programs in ethnic populations at risk for diabetes should include parents in their intervention.
Natural killer cell resistance in K-562 cell sublines

Sublines of the hematopoietic stem cell line K-562 were tested for their susceptibility to human natural killer (NK) cell activity. A correlation was found between the degree of NK-mediated lysis and the presence or absence of particular chromosomal markers. K-562 sublines susceptible to lysis by NK were found to express karyotypically a deletion 9- and a marker 8(tl : 18), whereas resistant sublines did not express these markers. A cloned K-562 subline BIV was chosen as representative of a resistant subline. This subline was resistant to lysis even after prolonged incubation and activation of the NK cells with interferon. However, it was found that BIV was lysed by both antibody-dependent, complement-mediated and antibody-dependent cellular mechanisms at levels comparable to those seen with NK-sensitive K-562 sublines. Subline BIV did compete poorly with NK-sensitive K-562 in cold-target inhibition; however, conjugate-formation assays demonstrated that the binding of NK cells to BIV cells is comparable to that of NK-sensitive K-562 cells. We suggest that cells of the cloned line BIV are recognized normally by NK cells but do not activate the lytic mechanism of the bound NK cell. Treatment of the resistant clone BIV with neura minidase did not lead to enhanced levels of lysis. Protein extracts of NK-sensitive K-562 sublines efficiently inhibited lysis by NK cells but extracts of the resistant clone, BIV, did not inhibit lysis, suggesting that the clone lacks cell surface determinants involved in the post-recognitive activation of the NK cytolytic mechanism.