cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring short-period wind waves in a tidally forced environment with a subsurface pressure gauge

The ability of a current meter equipped with a standard pressure sensor to estimate the wave spectra of underdeveloped, fetch-limited waves (peak period ~2 s) in a tidally forced, estuarine environment was investigated. Instruments of this type were placed at four heights throughout the 2.5 m water column, and data were recorded synchronously with a co-located capacitance wave gauge. Linear wave theory was found to adequately describe the wave field in the lower frequency portion of the spectra (<0.6 Hz). The capacitance wave gauge data revealed that the equilibrium range of the spectrum could be modeled as ƒ−4. Large variability in the noise floor of the identical pressure gauges was found. The optimal cutoff frequency (beyond which the ƒ−4 model was applied) was defined as the location where the pressure spectra was 12 times the noise floor but was at least 1.1 times the peak frequency. Using these criteria, the pressure sensors measured root-mean-squared wave heights and mean wave periods with an uncertainty of 0.035 m and 0.13 s, respectively (95% confidence level). Applying a point measurement of the current in the transformation of the pressure spectra was found to be as reliable as applying a vertically averaged current. Using the criteria found to best estimate the wave spectra, an expression that determines the ability of a pressure sensor to measure the wave field of interest was developed. This expression enables the user to specify the wind velocity and peak wave frequency at a site and determine the maximum depth below the water surface at which the pressure gauge can be placed.
Robust Control Design for a Nanosat Launch Vehicle

The attitude control of a launch vehicle is a challenging task due to the dramatically varied vehicle dynamics along a flight path. The objective of this paper is to design robust controllers for a nanosat launch vehicle developed by California Launch Vehicle Education Initiative at California State University Long Beach. In order to control the rocket along a trajectory ascending through the earth’s atmosphere, a set of operating points at different times along the flight path are selected, the corresponding dynamics models of the rocket are obtained via linearization, and a robust H∞ controller is designed for each operating point. Simulations are conducted in Matlab/Simulink to verify if the proposed control law stabilizes the inherent, unstable pitching motions of the vehicle at different times.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Synthesis, characterization and photophysical properties of benzil-labelled polymers for studies of diffusion-limited interactions by phosphorescence quenching

Abstract A new technique for synthesizing benzil-labelled polystyrenes has been developed. This new procedure has advantages over an older synthesis by Horie and Mita in that it involves fewer and less complicated synthetic steps. In addition, the new synthetic pathway should allow for labelling of different sites on the polymer chain and for labelling of different polymers such as poly(methyl methacrylate). The phosphorescence lifetime of terminally benzil-labelled polystyrenes in cyclohexane was found to be approximately 85–90 μs at 25°C with the concentration of benzil at 10 −5 M and was independent of labelled polystyrene molecular weight and polystyrene concentration up to 150gl −1 . When used in phosphorescence quenching studies, these materials were found to exhibit non-single-exponential lifetimes in the presence of anthracene and azulene quenchers for a concentration of benzil label ⩽10 −4 M. An explanation for this anomalous behaviour and a technique for decoupling these decays into two lifetimes has been proposed. This technique should allow for the study of diffusion-limited interactions occurring in higher-molecular-weight polymer systems where the label concentration ⩽ 10 −4 M.
New criticisms of international management: An analytical review

Abstract The eight new criticisms of International Management (IM)—A cademy of Management Review , 2008—embodying feminist-Marxist and postcolonial perspectives, employ organizational discourse analysis as the main framework. The main theme, while digressing from the Western capitalistic market maxim, is one of dismantling the theoretic structure of IM research of the last half century. Even so, these new criticisms merit a methodical appraisal. We undertake, in this conceptual paper, an analytical appraisal of these criticisms, thus: first, we critically analyze the salient points of each paper and its proposed future IM research direction; secondly, we place the eight criticisms within the framework of ‘culture politics’; and finally, we maintain that these criticisms are focused exclusively on non-market factors. In the MNE context, although non-market factors may have to be assigned a greater weight, both market and non-market factors are best viewed as two sides of the same coin. Overemphasizing one can only jeopardize the other. Moreover, in the absence of a lucid definition of international management, the new criticisms might linger as infertile intellectual ideas.
Obsessive and compulsive characteristics of craving for alcohol in alcohol abuse and dependence.

The purpose of this study was to quantify the extent to which subjective ratings of craving for alcohol in the alcohol-abusing or dependent person (herein, alcoholic) correlate with measurable and specific characteristics of obsessions and compulsions. The YaleBrown Obsessive Compulsive Scale modified to reflect obsessionality and compulsivity specifically related to heavy drinking (Y-BOCShd) was used for this purpose. Highly significant correlations were found in the alcoholic population (n = 62) between subjectively rated craving for alcoholic beverages and several of the Y-BOCS-hd questions regarding alcohol-related thoughts and drinking behavior. Additionally, mean craving scores were considerably greater in the alcoholic population than in the matched control population (n = 62). The data suggest that craving shares specific features in common with the obsessions of obsessive-compulsive disorder and that the existence of craving is dependent on the presence of obsessive thoughts about drinking. Positive correlations between craving and measures of compulsive drinking behavior also were found; compulsive drinking behavior, however, may reflect the consequences of craving rather than a fundamental characteristic of craving itself. The data show that despite difficulties in defining the term craving, it is clearly a phe
First Report of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus in South Carolina

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a begomovirus in the family Geminiviridae, causes yield losses in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) around the world. During 2005, tomato plants exhibiting TYLCV symptoms were found in several locations in the Charleston, SC area. These locations included a whitefly research greenhouse at the United States Vegetable Laboratory, two commercial tomato fields, and various garden centers. Symptoms included stunting, mottling, and yellowing of leaves. Utilizing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and begomovirus degenerate primer set prV324 and prC889 (1), the expected 579-bp amplification product was generated from DNA isolated from symptomatic tomato leaves. Another primer set (KL04-06_TYLCV CP F: 5'GCCGCCG AATTCAAGCTTACTATGTCGAAG; KL04-07_TYLCV CP R: 5'GCCG CCCTTAAGTTCGAAACTCATGATATA), homologous to the Florida isolate of TYLCV (GenBank Accession No. AY530931) was designed to amplify a sequence that contains the entire coat protein gene. These primers amplified the expected 842-bp PCR product from DNA isolated from symptomatic tomato tissues as well as viruliferous whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) adults. Expected PCR products were obtained from eight different samples, including three tomato samples from the greenhouse, two tomato plants from commercial fields, two plants from retail stores, and a sample of 50 whiteflies fed on symptomatic plants. For each primer combination, three PCR products amplified from DNA from symptomatic tomato plants after insect transmission were sequenced and analyzed. All sequences were identical and generated 806 nucleotides after primer sequence trimming (GenBank Accession No. DQ139329). This sequence had 99% nucleotide identity with TYLCV isolates from Florida, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Guadeloupe, and Puerto Rico. In greenhouse tests with a total of 129 plants in two separate experiments, 100% of the tomato plants became symptomatic as early as 10 days after exposure to whiteflies previously fed on symptomatic plants. A low incidence (<1%) of symptomatic plants was observed in the two commercial tomato fields. In addition, two symptomatic tomato plants obtained from two different retail garden centers tested positive for TYLCV using PCR and both primer sets. Infected plants in both retail garden centers were produced by an out-of-state nursery; this form of "across-state" distribution may be one means of entry of TYLCV into South Carolina. To our knowledge, this is the first report of TYLCV in South Carolina. Reference: (1) S. D. Wyatt and J. K. Brown. Phytopathology 86:1288, 1996.
Raman active skeletal-optical vibrations of hydrocarbon chain segments in a series of diacetylenic lipids

Abstract Raman scattering experiments have been performed on phosphatidylcholine headgroup lipids whose hydrocarbon chains are divided into segments ranging from four to seventeen methylenes in length by the presence of diacetylene units. The chain segments of the dihydrate lipid were in the all-trans configuration at room temperature. Raman bands due to skeletal-optical vibrations of segments proximal and distal to the lipid headgroup were observed, whose frequencies changed with segment length. For ‘free’ segments between the diacetylene and the methyl terminus the zero order Raman shifts ranged from 1116 cm−1 for a 6 methylene segment length to 1130 cm−1 for a 17 methylene segment, and for ‘bound’ segments between the headgroup and the diacetylene the shifts varied between 1069 cm−1 for a 5 methylene segment and 1109 cm−1 for a 9 methylene segment. In all cases the longer methylene segments had higher frequencies than the shorter segments. For higher order vibrations of both bound and free segments, lower frequencies were measured.
Domesday Book and the Law: Society and Legal Custom in Early Medieval England

Introduction: disputes and the inquest Part I. Domesday Book and the Law: 1. The inquest and the mechanics of justice 2. Living in the shadow of the law 3. Disputes and the Edwardian past 4. Disputes and the Norman present. Part II. The Texts: Part III. Indices.
Incidence of Newly Detected Atrial Arrhythmias Through Implantable Devices in Patients With a History of Thromboembolic Events

To the Editor: I read the article by Ziegler et al,1 and their results are an important addition to the literature on the high detection rate of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with cryptogenic stroke. I have some concern, however, about some of the definitions the authors used, particularly on the duration of AF. The authors cite a report from the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS)2 about the definition of AF being >30 seconds as …
Top partners in little Higgs theories with T-parity

We consider a class of little Higgs theories with $T$-parity where all new particles responsible for canceling the standard model contributions to the one-loop quadratic divergences in the Higgs potential are odd under $T$-parity, including the heavy top partner which was previously taken to be $T$-even. The new construction significantly simplifies the spectrum in the top sector and completely changes the phenomenology of the top partner. At hadron colliders the signals of this class of $T$-invariant models appear to be even more similar to supersymmetry. We initiate a study on the collider phenomenology and discuss the challenge of distinguishing this class of models from supersymmetry at the Large Hadron Collider.
Gingko biloba leaf extract induces oxidative stress in carcinoma HSC-2 cells

The antiproliferative effects of a Gingko biloba leaf extract to cells from tissues of the human oral cavity were studied. Toxicity to carcinoma HSC-2 cells was correlated with the prooxidative nature of the extract. G. biloba leaf extract generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cell culture medium and, albeit to a lesser extent, in buffer, with higher levels detected at alkaline pH. Lowered levels of ROS were detected in culture medium coamended with the extract and with either catalase or superoxide dismutase, indicating the generation of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion, respectively. Biological activity of the extract was through oxidative stress. Toxicity to the HSC-2 cells was lessened by the ROS scavengers, divalent cobalt and pyruvate, by catalase, and by the antioxidant, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, and was potentiated by the glutathione depleters, DL-buthionine-[S,R]-sulfoximine, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, and bis(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea. G. biloba reacted directly with authentic glutathione and lowered the intracellular glutathione content in HSC-2 cells. Induction of apoptosis upon exposure of HSC-2 cells to G. biloba extract was noted by apoptotic cell morphologies, by TUNEL staining, and by PARP cleavage. The data strongly suggest that the prooxidative nature of the G. biloba extract was the cause of apoptotic cell death.
Art And Globalization: Then And Now

In this chapter, the author highlights that it is undeniable that we have entered a new era of globalization both in general and with respect to art. But, on the other hand, with just a little pressure, the notion of globalization in both respects appears to come apart. The concept of globalization, construed as a Hegelian zeitgeist , is not a fruitful way to articulate the change. In Bali, there are traditional artists engaged in reproducing the statues of gods and goddesses which populate the many Hindu temples on the island. Artworks have perennially crossed cultural and ethnic boundaries, if not as barter, then as plunder. China was involved in a lively trade in porcelain long before Europe became interested in these art works. The art worlds of different cultures were distinct, segregated in virtue of their diverse traditions of making and meaning, of articulation and interpretation. Keywords: art; China; Chinese artists; Europe; globalization; Hegelian zeitgeist
Temperature Coefficients of the Rate of Cl Atom Reaction with HBr in the 228−368 K Range at Millitorr Pressures

Temperature coefficients for the kinetics of reaction Cl + HBr → HCl(v,j) + Br have been measured in the range 228−368 K using the very low-pressure reactor (VLPR) system. This experimental technique permits measurement of both the reactant consumption and product formation rates under second-order conditions and achieves mass conservation of 98 ± 2% for the overall chemical change in the reactor. Thermalization of vibrationally and rotationally excited HCl product is well attained in this system. A simple Arrhenius function describes the thermal rate constant as k = (1.99 ± 0.10) × 10-11 exp[−(710 ± 29)/RT] cm3/(molecule s). The measured activation energy is in good agreement with Ea = 0.72 kcal/mol obtained from total energy balancing of energy partition among the reaction products, while the A factor indicates a bent configuration of the transition state.
Do antioxidant enzymes and glutathione play roles in the induction of hepatic oxidative stress in mice upon subchronic exposure to mixtures of dichloroacetate and trichloroacetate

Dichloroacetate (DCA) and trichloroacetate (TCA) are water chlorination byproducts, and their mixtures were previously found to induce additive to greater than additive effects on hepatic oxidative stress (OS) induction in mice after subchronic exposure. To investigate the roles of antioxidant enzymes and glutathione (GSH) in those effects, livers of B6C3F1 mice treated by gavage with 7.5, 15, or 30 mg DCA/kg/day, 12.5, 25, or 50 mg TCA/kg/day, and mixtures (Mix I, Mix II and Mix III) at DCA:TCA ratios corresponding to 7.5:12.5, 15:25 and 25:50 mg/kg/day, respectively, for 13 weeks. Livers were assayed for superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), as well as for GSH levels. In general, DCA suppressed SOD and GSH-Px activities and GSH levels but caused no changes in CAT activity; TCA increased SOD and CAT activities, suppressed GSH-Px activity, but did not change GSH levels; mixtures of DCA and TCA increased SOD and CAT activities and suppressed GSH-Px activity and GSH levels. In conclusion, antioxidant enzymes contribute to DCA-, TCA- and mixtures-induced OS, but not to changes from additive to greater than additive effects produced by different mixture compositions of the compounds. GSH on the hand may contribute to these changes.
Improving Conservation of Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris): Conceptualization and Contributions Toward a Regional Warm-Water Network Management Strategy for Sustainable Winter Habitat

We used southwestern Florida as a case study to lay the groundwork for an intended and organized decision-making process for managing warm-water habitat needed by endangered manatees to survive winters in Florida. Scientists and managers have prioritized (a) projecting how the network of warm-water sites will change over the next 50 years as warmed industrial discharges may expire and as flows of natural springs are reduced through redirection of water for human uses, and (b) mitigating such changes to prevent undue consequences to manatees. Given the complexities introduced by manatee ecology; agency organizational structure; shifting public demands; fluctuating resource availability; and managing within interacting cultural, social, political, and environmental contexts, it was clear that a structured decision process was needed. To help promote such a process, we collected information relevant to future decisions including maps of known and suspected warm-water sites and prototyped a characterization of sites and networks. We propose steps that would lead to models that might serve as core tools in manatee/warm-water decision-making, and we summarized topics relevant for informed decision-making (e.g., manatee spatial cognition, risk of cold-stress morbidity and mortality, and human dimensions). A major impetus behind this effort is to ensure proactively that robust modeling tools are available well in advance of the anticipated need for a critical management decision.
Hemiresurfacing Arthroplasty of the Hip for Failed Free-Vascularized Fibular Graft

Management of Ficat stage III and IV osteonecrosis of the hip remains challenging, with the average patient aged in the mid 30s. Joint- and bone-preserving procedures such as free vascularized fibular graft, redirectional osteotomies, and hemiresurfacing hip arthroplasty are often considered. If these treatments fail, that is, after progression of joint destruction or persistent pain and decreasing function, total hip arthroplasty is often the procedure of choice. We describe the case of a patient with failed bilateral free vascularized fibular graft treated with bilateral hemiresurfacing arthroplasty.
Protective Relaying and Monitoring of the Ring Magnet Power Supply for the Argonne National Laboratory Zero Gradient Synchrotron

A description and relaying flow diagram presents the protection and monitoring system presently used in the 115 MW peak pulsed ring magnet power supply (RMPS).
The victimful-victimless crime distinction, and seven universal demographic correlates of victimful criminal behavior

Abstract A distinction is drawn between crimes that victimize fellow social group members (victimful crimes) and ones that do not (victimless crimes). With this victimizing distinction and crime seriousness in mind, studies are reviewed which have correlated various demographic variables with criminal behavior. Results revealed that there are at least seven demographic variables that universally correlate with serious victimful criminal behavior. The nature of these universal correlates are as follows: (1) Persons who come from families in which parents are no longer living together are more likely to engage in serious victimful crimes that persons from maritally intact families. (2) Persons who come from families with large numbers of siblings commit more serious victimful crimes than those from small families. (3) Blacks have higher serious victimful crime rates than whites, and whites in turn have higher rates than persons of Oriental racial ancestry. (4) Using a variety of indices, individuals of low social status exhibit higher probabilities of serious victimful crimes than individuals of middle and high social status. (5) Persons reared in urban areas commit more serious victimful crimes than those reared in suburban, and especially rural areas. (6) Serious victimful criminal behavior is most likely during the second and third decades of life. (7) Males are more likely to commit serious victimful crimes than females. While none of these universal correlates of victimful criminal behavior denote direct causal influences, theories are needed which predict the essential nature of their relationships to serious criminal behavior and to one another.
Intrauterine adhesions after manual vacuum aspiration for early pregnancy failure.

Objective To describe the occurrence of intrauterine adhesions after manual vacuum aspiration for early pregnancy failure. Design Case series. Setting Tertiary care center. Patient(s) Three women with intrauterine adhesions after manual vacuum aspiration for the treatment of early pregnancy failure. Intervention(s) Chart review. Main Outcome Measure(s) Hysteroscopic diagnosis of intrauterine adhesions after manual vacuum aspiration. Result(s) Three cases of symptomatic intrauterine adhesions after manual vacuum aspiration. Conclusion(s) Intrauterine adhesion formation may follow manual vacuum aspiration for early pregnancy loss.
Laser irradiation of congenital heart disease: Potential for palliation and correction of intracardiac and intravascular defects

We examined the potential for laser irradiation of congenital heart defects, with the use of postmortem hearts and an argon ion laser with a flexible quartz fiber. Atrial septectomy was performed in five newborn hearts. Obstructive lesions were relieved by laser irradiation in valvular pulmonic and aortic stenosis, dysplastic pulmonary valve, pulmonary atresia, and coarctation of the aorta. To demonstrate the efficacy of in vivo cardiac laser surgery, atrial septectomy was also performed in an anesthetized dog model, under echocardiographic visualization, without change in heart rate or blood pressure. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of intracardiac and intravascular laser irradiation for palliation and repair of selected congenital heart diseases.
THE ROLE OF SPIRITUALITY IN FORMULATING A THEORY OF THE PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION

Abstract. I challenge the psychology of religion to move beyond its merely descriptive status and, by focusing on spirituality as the essential dimension of religion, to approach the traditional ideal of science as explanation: a delineation of the necessary and sufficient to account for a phenomenon such as to articulate a general “law” relevant to every instance of the phenomenon. An explanatory psychology of spirituality would elucidate the scientific underpinnings of the psychology of religion as well as that of the social sciences in general, all of which grapple with the issues of human meaning making. Three prevalent and debilitating errors preclude that achievement: (1) the confounding of the spiritual and the divine and the importation of “God” into psychology, (2) the uncritical association of any spiritual phenomenon with spirituality, and (3) the attempt to eschew value judgments from the study of religion and spirituality. To confirm the possibility of avoiding these errors in the face of radical postmodernism, I build on Bernard Lonergan's analyses of intentional consciousness, or human spirit, and thus intimate a psychology of spirituality that is fully nontheological and potentially explanatory.
Introduction to PCI Express-a new high speed serial data bus

Most new PCs have a new bus called PCI Express. It is a very high speed dual-simplex, point to point serial differential low voltage interconnect. The signaling rate is 2.5 Gbit per second, with 8/10 bit encoding to embed the clock in the data stream. On the transmit side parallel data is shifted out serially and on the receive side serial data is shifted into registers for parallel data output. The receiver also recovers the embedded clock. This new bus can be used to connect modules or boxes via twisted pair copper and is the bus of choice for high speed applications in the industrial world
Flavor instabilities in the multiangle neutrino line model

Neutrino flavor oscillations in the presence of ambient neutrinos are nonlinear in nature which leads to interesting phenomenology that has not been well understood. It was recently shown that, in the two-dimensional, two-beam neutrino Line model, the inhomogeneous neutrino oscillation modes on small distance scales can become unstable at larger neutrino densities than the homogeneous mode does. We develop a numerical code to solve neutrino oscillations in the multiangle/beam Line model with a continuous neutrino angular distribution. We show that the inhomogeneous oscillation modes can occur at even higher neutrino densities in the multiangle model than in the two-beam model. We also find that the inhomogeneous modes on sufficiently small scales can be unstable at smaller neutrino densities with ambient matter than without, although a larger matter density does shift the instability region of the homogeneous mode to higher neutrino densities in the Line model as it does in the one-dimensional supernova Bulb model. Our results suggest that the inhomogeneous neutrino oscillation modes can be difficult to treat numerically because the problem of spurious oscillations becomes more severe for oscillations on smaller scales.
Federalism in Europe and Latin America: Conceptualization, Causes, and Consequences

J. Ernesto Lopez-Cordova Christopher M. Meissner 539 Lisa Blaydes Drew A. Linzer 576 Daniel Ziblatt 610 R ESEARCH N OTE The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism R EVIEW A RTICLE Kent Eaton 665 Lyle A. Scruggs James P. Allan WP60.4-00.fm-LM.indd 1 10/9/08 1:42:42 PM
HOLLOW: Generating Accurate Representations of Channel and Interior Surfaces in Molecular Structures

Background An accurate rendering of interior surfaces can facilitate the analysis of mechanisms at atomic-level detail, such as the transport of substrates in the ammonia channel. In molecular viewers, one must remove the exterior surface that obscures the channel surface by clipping the viewing plane or manually selecting the channel residues in order to display a partial surface. Neither method is entirely satisfactory, as unwanted additional pieces of surfaces are always generated.
The Whole Genome Sequence of Sphingobium chlorophenolicum L-1: Insights into the Evolution of the Pentachlorophenol Degradation Pathway

Sphingobium chlorophenolicum Strain L-1 can mineralize the toxic pesticide pentachlorophenol (PCP). We have sequenced the genome of S. chlorophenolicum Strain L-1. The genome consists of a primary chromosome that encodes most of the genes for core processes, a secondary chromosome that encodes primarily genes that appear to be involved in environmental adaptation, and a small plasmid. The genes responsible for degradation of PCP are found on chromosome 2. We have compared the genomes of S. chlorophenolicum Strain L-1 and Sphingobium japonicum, a closely related Sphingomonad that degrades lindane. Our analysis suggests that the genes encoding the first three enzymes in the PCP degradation pathway were acquired via two different horizontal gene transfer events, and the genes encoding the final two enzymes in the pathway were acquired from the most recent common ancestor of these two bacteria.
Adolescents' Assessments of the Helpfulness of Treatment for Major Depression: Results From a National Survey.

Objective:The study investigated perceived helpfulness of counseling or medication in a national sample of adolescents with a major depressive episode.Methods:Secondary data analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health was conducted. The sample comprised adolescents (ages 12–17) with a past-year major depressive episode who reported receiving either counseling and no medication (N=2,000) or medication and counseling (N=1,300) for depression in the past year. Adolescents who received counseling only evaluated the helpfulness of counseling, and adolescents who received medication and counseling evaluated the helpfulness of medication. Responses were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and ordered logistic regression models.Results:Among adolescents who received counseling only, 10% reported that counseling was extremely helpful, 22% that it helped a lot, 25% that it helped some, 24% that it helped a little, and 20% that it was not at all helpful. Among adolescents who received medication and ...
Mycoplasma genitalium and preterm delivery at an urban community health center

Abstract Objective To determine the prepartum prevalence of cervical Mycoplasma genitalium colonization and evaluate prospectively whether colonization is associated with preterm delivery among women from a racial/ethnic minority background with a high risk of delivering a low birth weight newborn and a high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections. Methods In a prospective cohort study at an urban community health center in Roxbury, MA, USA, 100 women receiving routine prenatal care for singleton pregnancies were enrolled between August 2010 and December 2011. Endocervical samples were tested for M. genitalium, and delivery data were collected. Results The prevalence of M. genitalium colonization at the first prenatal visit was 8.4%. The incidence of low birth weight was 16.7%. The incidence of preterm delivery among women who were known to have a live birth was 16.7%. The incidence of preterm delivery did not differ with respect to M. genitalium colonization. The crude odds ratio for preterm delivery among women with M. genitalium colonization versus those without was 1.27 (95% confidence interval, 0.02–14.78). Conclusion M. genitalium colonization was not associated with preterm delivery among women with a high incidence of low birth weight newborns and preterm delivery, and a high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections.
Waiting for organ transplantation: results of an analysis by an Institute of Medicine Committee.

SUMMARY One of the most visible and contentious issues regarding the fairness of the original system of organ procurement and allocation is the argument that it resulted in great disparities in the total amount of time a patient waited for an organ (i.e. the time from registration at a transplantation center to transplant), depending on where he or she lived. In an attempt to resolve this debate, Congress charged the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine to perform an independent study of the original system and proposed rule changes. In an analysis of approximately 68 000 transplant waiting list records, the committee developed several conclusions and recommendations largely specific to liver transplantation policies. The purpose of this paper is to describe both the results of the study and the statistical foundations of the mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression model that led to the committee’s conclusions.
Improving the health of youth: a community health perspective.

To place the discussion of the role of public health as it relates to adolescents in context one needs first to understand the major risk factors that significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality in the second decade of life. Such knowledge while necessary is not sufficient for it is also critical to understand the perspectives and priorities of those who promote youth health from a public health perspective. With that as a backdrop we can then begin to wrestle through the appropriate objectives for the public health sector in adolescent health and what is needed to achieve those objectives. (excerpt)
On vector-valued Poincaré series of weight 2

Abstract Given a pair ( Γ , ρ ) of a Fuchsian group of the first kind, and a unitary representation ρ of Γ of arbitrary rank, the problem of construction of vector-valued Poincare series of weight 2 is considered. Implications in the theory of parabolic bundles are discussed. When the genus of the group is zero, it is shown how an explicit basis for the space of these functions can be constructed.
Diverging Pathways: The Peculiar and Problematic Gap between Comparative Politics and American Political Development

This paper examines the diverging pathways of the fields of comparative politics and American Political development and explores areas of potential dialogue between them. Since the 1980s, the two subfields have become increasingly isolated from each other, reflecting the specialization trend in political science, growing emphasis in comparative politics on large-N cross-national research, a gap between the two fields over the merits of studying of political development, and the larger divide between the study of comparative and American politics. I argue that two areas in which comparative politics and APD have had extensive dialogue – qualitative methodology and the study of the welfare state – show there is much to be gained from greater linkages between the two sub-fields. There is no reason why fruitful dialogue cannot take place in other areas, particularly in the study of state-building, democratization, and identity.
Ab initio simulation of the BaZrO3 (0 0 1) surface structure

Abstract Electronic and atomic structures of different terminations of the (0 0 1) non-polar orientation of BaZrO3 surfaces have been studied using first-principles calculations. We found that surface energies at both possible surface terminations, BaO and ZrO2, were very close. The (0 0 1)-BaO and (0 0 1)-ZrO2 terminated surfaces have bandgap values smaller than that of a bulk BaZrO3 crystal. In addition, the relative surface stability has been analyzed as a function of chemical environment.
Experimental Production of Congestive Splenomegaly

SummaryThe injection of fine silicious particles directly into the splenic vein in the amounts described will produce a progressive cirrhosis of the liver. Secondary to this a state of splenic vein hypertension has been produced with a concomitant congestive splenomegaly.
Confronting the Political Assault Day After Day

In this brief essay, I describe the right-wiheadingng agenda that comes forward day after day, comes forward as a political assault. Isolating just five arbitrary days, I specify what I see as problematic claims by the right wing and offer alternative counter-narratives. I end by identifying actions I feel I should take to speak back to their agenda.
Porous Carbon Nanosheets Codoped with Nitrogen and Sulfur for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Microbial Fuel Cells.

In this work, a simple synthesis strategy has been developed for the preparation of nitrogen- and sulfur-codoped porous carbon nanosheets (N/S-CNS) as a cathode catalyst for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The as-prepared N/S-CNS showed favorable features for electrochemical energy conversion such as high surface area (1004 m2 g–1), defect structure, and abundant exposure of active sites that arose primarily from porous nanosheet morphology. Benefiting from the unique nanostructure, the resulting nanosheets exhibited effective electrocatalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The onset potential of the N/S-CNS in linear-sweep voltammetry was approximately −0.05 V vs Ag/AgCl in neutral phosphate buffer saline. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the ohmic and charge-transfer resistance of the codoped catalyst were 1.5 and 14.8 Ω, respectively, both of which were lower than that of platinum/carbon (Pt/C). Furthermore, the electron-transfer number of the N/S-CNS was calculated to ...
Remote monitoring and medical devices control in eHealth

This paper presents a solution that improves remote monitoring and real-time control of medical devices in eHealth, and provides better user experience and deployment simplicity. Our approach builds a unified, scalable, secure and real-time platform making use of IoT Gateways to remotely monitor patients and manage/control diverse types of sensors and IoT medical devices. WebRTC is used as a key architectural component to enable interactive communication between smart medical spaces (e.g., clinics, patients' homes) and remote users (e.g., health/wellness services, physicians, medical staff). We also demonstrate the need for an Edge Cloud to save on network bandwidth usage especially for video traffic for remote monitoring and to ensure real-time control of medical devices. We implemented a Proof of Concept (PoC) to test our solution. The performance results obtained measure the utility of the proposed approach and its effectiveness in real-time eHealth services.
Two delta opioid receptor subtypes are functional in single ventral tegmental area neurons, and can interact with the mu opioid receptor.

The mu and delta opioid receptors (MOR and DOR) are highly homologous members of the opioid family of GPCRs. There is evidence that MOR and DOR interact, however the extent to which these interactions occur in vivo and affect synaptic function is unknown. There are two stable DOR subtypes: DPDPE sensitive (DOR1) and deltorphin II sensitive (DOR2); both agonists are blocked by DOR selective antagonists. Robust motivational effects are produced by local actions of both MOR and DOR ligands in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Here we demonstrate that a majority of both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic VTA neurons express combinations of functional DOR1, DOR2, and/or MOR, and that within a single VTA neuron, DOR1, DOR2, and MOR agonists can differentially couple to downstream signaling pathways. As reported for the MOR agonist DAMGO, DPDPE and deltorphin II produced either a predominant K+ dependent hyperpolarization or a Cav2.1 mediated depolarization in different neurons. In some neurons DPDPE and deltorphin II produced opposite responses. Excitation, inhibition, or no effect by DAMGO did not predict the response to DPDPE or deltorphin II, arguing against a MOR-DOR interaction generating DOR subtypes. However, in a subset of VTA neurons the DOR antagonist TIPP-Ψ augmented DAMGO responses; we also observed DPDPE or deltorphin II responses augmented by the MOR selective antagonist CTAP. These findings directly support the existence of two independent, stable forms of the DOR, and show that MOR and DOR can interact in some neurons to alter downstream signaling.
Should I Stay or Should I Go: Veteran Status and Determinants of Turnover Intention

What are the individual employee-level determinants of turnover intention? What is the relationship between veteran status and these determinants of turnover intention? We answer these questions, b...
Reticulocyte hemoglobin content testing for iron deficiency in healthy toddlers.

ABSTRACTObjectives: To investigate reticulocyte hemglobin content (CHr) as a primary screening test to detect iron deficiency (ID) in healthy toddlers. Demographic and dietary risk factors associated with ID were studied for an association with low CHr. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study of healthy toddlers aged 12 to 36 months coming to well-child visits at two military pediatric ambulatory clinics in the Washington, DC, area from August 2006 to November 2007. Data were collected on medical, demographic, and dietary intake by parental questionnaire. A sample of blood was drawn from each subject for complete blood count and CHr. A logistic regression model was used to determine which factors may be predictive of ID. Results: A total of 144 children were studied. An abnormal low CHr of 27.5 was identified in 18.8% of our toddler population. Two variables were determined to be independent predictors of low CHr; an age of 12 to 23 months and black race. Conclusions: Used alone as a primary...
Effects of Intestinal Microbiota on Brain Development in Humanized Gnotobiotic Mice

Poor growth in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is associated with an increased risk for poor neurodevelopmental outcomes for preterm infants, however the mechanism is unclear. The microbiome has increasingly been recognized as a modifiable environmental factor to influence host development. Here we explore the hypothesis that the microbiome influences both growth phenotype and brain development. A germ free mouse transfaunation model was used to examine the effects of preterm infant microbiotas known to induce either high growth or low growth phenotypes on postnatal brain development. The microbiome which induced the low growth phenotype was associated with decreases in the neuronal markers NeuN and neurofilament-L as well as the myelination marker MBP when compared to the microbiome associated with the high growth phenotype. Additionally, poor growth phenotype-associated microbiota was associated with increased neuroinflammation marked by increased Nos1, as well as alteration in IGF-1 pathway including decreased circulating and brain IGF-1, decreased circulating IGFBP3, and increased Igfbp3 brain mRNA expression. This study suggests that growth-associated microbiota can influence early neuron and oligodendrocyte development and that this effect may be mediated by effects on neuroinflammation and circulating IGF-1.
Byzantizing paxos by refinement

We derive a 3f +1 process Byzantine Paxos consensus algorithm by Byzantizing a variant of the ordinary Paxos algorithm--that is, by having 2f+1 nonfaulty processes emulate the ordinary Paxos algorithm despite the presence of f malicious processes. We have written a formal, machine-checked proof that the Byzantized algorithm implements the ordinary Paxos consensus algorithm under a suitable refinement mapping.
Scope and Binding: Semantic Aspects

The scope of an expression is the domain within which its interpretation can impact that of others. This domain often coincides with the expression's sister constituent in syntax, but research in the past two decades has uncovered many cases where it does not. The latter cases may require semantic innovations. It turns out that different operators have different scoping and binding abilities. At least three classes emerge: unmodified indefinites, distributive universals, and counting quantifiers. Existential scope and distributive scope are distinguished, and E-type anaphora and covariance with situations are added to traditional bound variable and coreferential readings.
From Observation to Prediction to Application: A Guided Exercise for Liquid–Liquid Extraction

In this organic chemistry laboratory experiment, students are guided through a series of exercises to understand the behavior of compounds during liquid–liquid extraction. Aspects of density, structure, solubility, acid–base theory, and pKa are all incorporated into activities that students complete in groups. After using their initial observations to make predictions about the two colored compounds, nile blue and 2,6-dichloroindophenol, students check the reliability of their predictions by carrying out liquid–liquid extractions of these compounds in the laboratory. The set of exercises culminates in the application of the procedures to a real-world situation.
Career Decision-Making With Gifted Rural Students: Considerations for School Counselors and Teachers:

Traditional career education activities at the secondary level consist of academic, aptitude, skills, interests, and, less often, personality assessments that assist students in narrowing viable ca...
Food Labor Ethics

Author(s): Doggett, T; Holmes, SM | Abstract: This chapter is an overview of some of the ethical issues regarding food workers. Paying special attention to farm workers and the conditions under which they work, it discusses, among other things, the infliction of pain and suffering on workers and their treatment as tools, children, or animals. It discusses also the coercion and exploitation of workers as well as the sexism, racism, and classism they face. In addition, this chapter discusses how these conditions arise at the societal level and what can be done about them.
Community dynamics in Fijian coral reef fish communities vary with conservation and shark-based tourism

Marine protected areas (MPAs) effectively improve the biomass and diversity in heavily exploited marine systems, but often fail to reach their full potential because they require more space, time, and consistency of regulation. Recently, shark-based tourism, which utilises some of the remaining shark strongholds as tourism hotspots, has brought about increased awareness to exploited reef systems. In Fiji, specifically, shark diving companies include local community members in their operations to promote better understanding of their reefs. We seek to investigate whether seemingly denser shark populations during feeding times influence community composition and structure. Visual census data were collected from 50-m belt transects at four different reefs in Fiji: two MPAs with shark-based ecotourism with food provisioning, one MPA without shark-based ecotourism, and one unprotected area without shark-based tourism. Paradoxically, indices of evenness and diversity were highest in the non-protected site. However, there was significantly higher fish abundance and species diversity within reserves than outside of reserves. Within reserves, sites with shark feeding had lower fish abundance and higher richness, diversity, and evenness. Mean trophic level was highest at sites with shark feeding. Use of chum increased average fish abundance and diversity within shark-dive sites. These results indicate that there are evident differences between MPAs that do and do not offer trophic supplementation for shark-based ecotourism. Thus, tourism may be facilitating a shift of ecosystem composition in such areas. Furthermore, the results suggest that feeding methods may augment the impacts of shark-based tourism on the reef at large.
Uptake of boron into human gliomas of athymic mice and into syngeneic cerebral gliomas of rats after intracarotid infusion of sulfhydryl boranes.

Effective boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of brain tumor will be dependent upon the use of boron-transport agents that give adequate levels of 10B in tumor tissue but low boron concentrations in blood and normal brain.1 Several 10B-transport agents are being studied in animals, however, only the sulfhydryl borane monomer (Na2B12H11SH) is currently used (in Japan) for the treatment of human malignant gliomas.2 Our studies show that after the administration of the sulfhydryl borane dimer (Na4B24H22S2) tumor boron concentrations are significantly higher than those obtained following the administration of equal amounts of boron as monomer.3,4 This report presents preliminary results on: a) the uptake of monomer and dimer in tumors arising from a human malignant glioma-derived cell line inoculated subcutaneously in athymic (nude) mice; and b) the comparison of intracarotid and intravenous infusion of monomer and dimer on the resultant boron concentrations in cerebral gliomas of rats.
Effect of Root-zone Temperature on Survival, Growth, and Root Morphology of Kalmia latifolia and Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’

Abstract Root-zone temperature (RZT) is an important environmental factor affecting growth and performance of woody ornamental plants in the landscape. Research was conducted to compare the effects...