cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
America's liberalization in attitudes toward homosexuality, 1973 to 1998

Using General Social Survey data from 1973 to 1998, changing American attitudes toward homosexuality are examined. Two hypotheses are tested: (1) Can changes in attitudes be accounted for by the changing demographics of the population? (2) Are changing attitudes toward homosexuality embedded within larger cultural ideological shifts? The data indicate that Americans distinguish between the morality of homosexuality and the civil liberties of homosexuals. Americans became increasingly negative regarding the morality of homosexuality through 1990, but since then their attitudes have become increasingly liberal. The same 25-year period witnessed a steady decline in Americans' willingness to restrict the civil liberties of homosexuals. Changes in American demographics-particularly increasing educational levels-and changing cultural ideological beliefs can account for only about one-half of the change over time in attitudes toward homosexuality. Several theories are put forth to explain these patterns of change and the distinction made between morality and civil liberties
Reducing bubble sweepdown effects on research vessels

During early stage hull form design trade studies are performed to investigate feasible and desirable attributes for the a oceanographic ship. Paramount among these attributes is excellent sonar mapping capability. This paper summarizes some of the design and analysis effort to improve sonar capability by minimizing bubble sweepdown interference while considering overall ship resistance and fuel economy. Bubble sweepdown and its detrimental effects on scientific sonar systems is a widely known phenomenon that has been experienced to some degree on nearly every research vessel. The causes and mitigation techniques are less well understood. Sonar performance is degraded when bubbles pass over or near transducers. These detrimental effects are usually worse at higher ship speeds and sea states. Gondolas, fairings and bubble fences can effectively reduce bubble sweepdown interference but generally incur significant resistance penalties. In this study, several hull form bow shapes and sonar mounts were investigated. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis was conducted to determine their effect on bubble sweepdown near the transducers. Tradeoffs between sonar performance, draft and resistance are explored. The impact on ship specification development is also reviewed.
Analysis of the current applicant pool to vascular surgery: who are they and where do they come from?

There is a manpower crisis in vascular surgery. There may be too few vascular surgeons to meet the demands imposed by the aging of the “Baby-Boom” generation. More than 20% of vascular surgery positions were not filled through the match in 2004 and 2005. The number of vascular surgery training positions has doubled in the past 15 years, based on manpower studies projecting a need for additional vascular surgeons. During the same time period, the number of vascular surgery applicants has remained static. In addition, the proportion of international medical graduates has increased significantly. Furthermore, medical students appear to be selecting “lifestyle-friendly” specialties, such as emergency medicine, radiology, ophthalmology, anesthesiology, and dermatology, with increasing frequency. Approximately 60% of undergraduates in the United States and almost 50% of graduating medical students are currently women. Yet only about 25% of general surgery residents and less than 20% of current vascular surgery trainees are women. Strategies to expand the applicant pool for vascular surgery are needed and discussed in this article.
Radiofrequency catheter ablation of the left and right ventricles: anatomic and electrophysiologic observations.

Certain untoward effects associated with the use of direct-current electrical catheter ablation of the ventricular endomyocardium have been noted. We assessed the efficacy and safety of closed-chest catheter ablation of the left and right ventricles using radio frequency (RF) energy (750 kHz) in six dogs. Mean HF energies between 93 and 123 joules (J) were randomly delivered to three left ventricular (LV) sites via two distal adjacent electrodes (bipolar configuration) using 6–7F USCI tripolar or quadripolar catheters with an interelectrode distance of 5–10 mm. Another 90–143 J were given to two right ventricular (RV) sites in single or multiple divided applications between a distal electrode and an external patch electrode (unipolar configuration). Ventricular arrhythmias were not observed during application of RF energy. Programmed ventricular stimulation before and after the procedure did not induce ventricular tachycardia (VT) or fibrillation except in one dog who had inducible VT prior to ablation. There were no significant changes in LV and RV elective refractory periods after the procedures. Occasional premature ventricular beats and rare episodes of non-sustained VT (3–12 beats) were observed in ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings (13–24 hrs) done immediately after ablation. Dogs were sacrificed after 4–5 days. Pathology showed well-demarcated round or ovoid lesions of varying sizes, Murai thrombus was found in one dog. Microscopic findings consisted of circumscribed areas of coagulation necrosis with a peripheral zone of cellular infiltration. Transmural necrosis without perforation was occasionally seen in the thin RV wall when higher energies were delivered. In conclusion, discrete areas of desiccation injury in the ventricles can be achieved by transcatheter bipolar or unipolar ablation using RF energy. The complications associated with this method appear to be minimal. Further experiments are needed to evaluate its potential for catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia.
Impact on retail checkout ergonomics of scanner technology evolution and package design

Abstract The design of bar code scanners has steadily improved scanning performances over the past 20 years. Changes in scan patterns, improvements in decode algorithms, and design features of the hardware user interface have resulted in scanners that are ergonomically superior both in biomechanics and overall performance. This study reviewed scanner performance and technological developments, and compare these to changes in checkstand use and the mix of merchandise packages scanned. The results indicate that the impact of future innovations in scanner design to improve throughput and the accuracy of data captured will be minimal. The greatest challenge to improve overall checkout performance is for merchandise suppliers to consider the ergonomics of scanning merchandise based on package design and placement of the bar code. Relevance to industry This work shows the impact of scanner design on cashier productivity in the retail checkout environment. Improvements in the user interface of scanners and the scanner optical recognition logic has shown a dramatic impact on the total percentage of scanned items. Package design and bar code placement is the next area to enhance the ergonomics of scanning.
The measurement of short-duration impulse voltages

A description is given of a very-small-impulse voltage divider which is insulated by compressed gas. The divider was designed for the measurement of steep-front impulse waves, and its errors have been evaluated by the step-response method, using a pressurized sphere gap. It was then used for measuring the volt-time curve of a sphere gap, and the results have been compared with those obtained by others.
Fractionation of the rice bran layer and quantification of vitamin E, oryzanol, protein, and rice bran saccharide

Value-added processing with respect to rice milling has traditionally treated the rice bran layer as a homogenous material that contains significant concentrations of high-value components of interest for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Investigators have shown that high-value components in the rice bran layer vary from differences in kernel-thickness, bran fraction, rice variety, and environmental conditions during the growing season. The objectives of this study were to quantify the amount of rice bran removed at pre-selected milling times and to correlate the amount of rice bran removed at each milling time with the concentration of vitamin E, gamma-oryzanol, rice bran saccharide, and protein obtained. The ultimate goal of this research is to show that rice bran fractionation is a useful method to obtain targeted, nutrient-rich bran samples for value-added processing. Two long grain rice cultivars, Cheniere and Cypress, were milled at discrete times between 3 and 40 seconds using a McGill mill to obtain bran samples for analysis. Results showed that the highest oryzanol and protein concentrations were found in the outer portion of the rice bran layer, while the highest rice bran saccharide concentration was found in the inner portion of the bran layer. Vitamin E concentration showed no significant difference across the bran layer within a variety, though the highest magnitude of concentration occurs within the first 10 seconds of milling for both varieties. To extract the higher concentration of oryzanol and protein only the outer portion of the bran layer requires processing, while to extract the higher concentration of rice bran saccharide, only the inner portion of the bran layer requires processing. Rice bran fractionation allows for the selective use of portions of the bran layer and is advantageous for two reasons: (1) bran fractions contain higher concentrations of components of interest with respect to the overall bran layer average, and (2) less bran needs to be processed to obtain components of interest.
Externally Assembled Gate-All-Around Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistor

In this letter, we demonstrate a gate-all-around single-wall carbon nanotube field-effect transistor. This is the first successful experimental implementation of an off-chip gate and gate-dielectric assembly with subsequent deposition on a suitable substrate. The fabrication process and device measurements are discussed in the letter. We also argue in how far charges in the gate oxide are responsible for the observed nonideal device performance.
Distance Estimation From Received Signal Strength Under Log-Normal Shadowing: Bias and Variance

In source localization, one estimates the location of a source using a variety of relative position information. Many algorithms use certain powers of distances to effect localization. In practice, exact distance measurement is not directly available and must be estimated from information such as received signal strength (RSS), time of arrival, or time difference of arrival. This letter considers bias and variance issues in estimating powers of distances from RSS affected by practical log-normal shadowing. We show that the underlying estimation problem is inefficient and that the maximum likelihood estimate yields a bias and a mean-square error (MSE) that both increase exponentially with the noise power. We then characterize the class of unbiased estimates and show that there is only one estimator in this class, but that its MSE also grows exponentially with the noise power. Finally, we provide the linear minimum mean-square error (MMSE) estimate and show that its bias and MSE are both bounded in the noise power.
Social anatomy of racial and ethnic disparities in violence.

We analyzed key individual, family, and neighborhood factors to assess competing hypotheses regarding racial/ethnic gaps in perpetrating violence. From 1995 to 2002, we collected 3 waves of data on 2974 participants aged 18 to 25 years living in 180 Chicago neighborhoods, augmented by a separate community survey of 8782 Chicago residents. The odds of perpetrating violence were 85% higher for Blacks compared with Whites, whereas Latino-perpetrated violence was 10% lower. Yet the majority of the Black–White gap (over 60%) and the entire Latino–White gap were explained primarily by the marital status of parents, immigrant generation, and dimensions of neighborhood social context. The results imply that generic interventions to improve neighborhood conditions and support families may reduce racial gaps in violence.
The computer subconscious

One thing which distinguishes people from computers and from one another is variously called creativity, the right brain, or the subconscious. Computers are designed to be fast, almost‐error‐free rule followers. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been based on computers and their rule‐following skills, e.g. expert systems. Yet we do not value Mozart, Einstein, Van Gogh, etc. for their rule following skills. In order to understand our own creativity we must model our subconscious. Once we model it, we can learn more about it by building a computer subconscious. Shows how a multiple‐module Darwinistic model can account for the human subconscious and how such a system can be emulated in a computer. For a quantum computer, perhaps the only technological computer fast enough to make computer creativity interesting, the results are also unpredictable in principle. Computers will differ in personality, skill and interests just as people do even if they start off identical.
Encoding information flow in Haskell

This paper presents an embedded security sublanguage for enforcing information-flow policies in the standard Haskell programming language. The sublanguage provides useful information-flow control mechanisms including dynamic security lattices, run-time code privileges and declassification, without modifying the base language. This design avoids the redundant work of producing new languages, lowers the threshold for adopting security-typed languages, and also provides great flexibility and modularity for using security-policy frameworks. The embedded security sublanguage is designed using a standard combinator interface called arrows. Computations constructed in the sublanguage have static and explicit control-flow components, making it possible to implement information-flow control using static-analysis techniques at run time, while providing strong security guarantees. This paper presents a concrete Haskell implementation and an example application demonstrating the proposed techniques.
Integration of the Second Messenger c-di-GMP into the Chemotactic Signaling Pathway

ABSTRACT Elevated intracellular levels of the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP are known to suppress motility and promote sessility. Bacterial chemotaxis guides motile cells in gradients of attractants and repellents over broad concentration ranges, thus allowing bacteria to quickly adapt to changes in their surroundings. Here, we describe a chemotaxis receptor that enhances, as opposed to suppresses, motility in response to temporary increases in intracellular c-di-GMP. Azospirillum brasilense’s preferred metabolism is adapted to microaerophily, and these motile cells quickly navigate to zones of low oxygen concentration by aerotaxis. We observed that changes in oxygen concentration result in rapid changes in intracellular c-di-GMP levels. The aerotaxis and chemotaxis receptor, Tlp1, binds c-di-GMP via its C-terminal PilZ domain and promotes persistent motility by increasing swimming velocity and decreasing swimming reversal frequency, which helps A. brasilense reach low-oxygen zones. If c-di-GMP levels remain high for extended periods, A. brasilense forms nonmotile clumps or biofilms on abiotic surfaces. These results suggest that association of increased c-di-GMP levels with sessility is correct on a long-term scale, while in the short-term c-di-GMP may actually promote, as opposed to suppress, motility. Our data suggest that sensing c-di-GMP by Tlp1 functions similar to methylation-based adaptation. Numerous chemotaxis receptors contain C-terminal PilZ domains or other sensory domains, suggesting that intracellular c-di-GMP as well as additional stimuli can be used to modulate adaptation of bacterial chemotaxis receptors. IMPORTANCE To adapt and compete under changing conditions, bacteria must not only detect and respond to various environmental cues but also be able to remain sensitive to further changes in the environmental conditions. In bacterial chemotaxis, chemosensory sensitivity is typically brought about by changes in the methylation status of chemotaxis receptors capable of modulating the ability of motile cells to navigate in gradients of various physicochemical cues. Here, we show that the ubiquitous second messenger c-di-GMP functions to modulate chemosensory sensitivity of a bacterial chemotaxis receptor in the alphaproteobacterium Azospirillum brasilense. Binding of c-di-GMP to the chemotaxis receptor promotes motility under conditions of elevated intracellular c-di-GMP levels. Our results revealed that the role of c-di-GMP as a sessile signal is overly simplistic. We also show that adaptation by sensing an intracellular metabolic cue, via PilZ or other domains, is likely widespread among bacterial chemotaxis receptors.
The Prognostic Significance of p16 INK4a /p14 ARF and p15 INK4b Deletions in Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Cytogenetic/molecular abnormalities significantly influence the prognosis of patients with acute leukemia. Recently, two genes, p16 INK4a and p15 INK4b , encoding two cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor proteins of the INK4 family of M r 15,000 and 16,000, respectively, have been localized to 9p21. Remarkably, the p16 INK4a locus has been found to encode a second protein, p14 ARF , known as p19 ARF in mice, with a distinct reading frame. Like p16 INK4a , p14 ARF is involved in cell cycle regulation, blocking cells at the G 1 restriction point through the activity of MDM-2 and p53. We studied bone marrow samples of 42 newly diagnosed and untreated patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia for the incidence of deletions of p16 INK4a / p14 ARF and p15 INK4b using Southern blot analysis and determined the clinical outcome with regard to complete remission (CR) duration, event-free survival, and overall survival. We found deletions of p16 INK4a / p14 ARF in 17 of 42 patients (40%), with homozygous deletions in 11 of 42 patients (26%) and hemizygous deletions in 6 of 42 patients (14%). The gene for p15 INK4b was codeleted in most, but not all, cases and was never deleted without deletion of p16 INK4a / p14 ARF . No correlation was observed between molecular studies and karyotype abnormalities as determined by conventional cytogenetics. Furthermore, no difference was found in the CR rate, CR duration, event-free survival, and overall survival in patients with homozygous gene deletions compared to patients with no deletions or loss of only one allele.
Inhibition of interleukin-6 trans-signaling in the brain facilitates recovery from lipopolysaccharide-induced sickness behavior.

Background Interleukin (IL)-6 is produced in the brain during peripheral infection and plays an important but poorly understood role in sickness behavior. Therefore, this study investigated the capacity of soluble gp130 (sgp130), a natural inhibitor of the IL-6 trans-signaling pathway to regulate IL-6 production in microglia and neurons in vitro and its effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sickness behavior in vivo.
Scattering of plane waves from an interface crack

Abstract In this paper, the two-dimensional problem of elastic wave scattering from a finite crack along the interface between two dissimilar, isotropic solids is considered. Through use of the Fourier transform method, the scattered fields are represented by an integral involving the crack opening displacement. The boundary value problem of wave scattering is then reduced to a vectorial Cauchy singular integral equation for the crack opening displacement by applying appropriate interfacial conditions. The integral equation is solved numerically by a Jacobi polynomial expansion technique. Crack opening displacements are obtained for various incident frequencies and incident angles. The steepest descent method is then used to derive the asymptotic far-field displacements. It is found that the far-field displacements contain rich information about the cracked interface.
INFLUENCE OF WASHING TREATMENT ON NATIVE MICROFLORA AND ESCHERICHIA COLI POPULATION OF INOCULATED CANTALOUPES

The influence of chlorine or hydrogen peroxide treatment on populations of Escherichia coli 25922 on the external surface of inoculated cantaloupe was investigated. Surface treatment with 70% EtOH, followed by immersion in 10 8 CFU/mL E. coli inoculum deposited an average of 4.4 log 10 CFU/cm 2 cell population on the cantaloupe surface. The efficacy of washing inoculated cantaloupe was dependent on storage interval between inoculation and treatment. Dipping the cantaloupes in solutions containing 1000 mg/L chlorine or 5% peroxide for 5 min, within 24 h of inoculation, caused a 2 log 10 CFU/cm 2 reduction of the indigenous surface microflora and a 3-4.0 log 10 CFU/cm 2 reduction in E. coli. The efficacy was less when the interval between inoculation and treatment exceeded 24 h. Chlorine appeared to be a better antimicrobial agent than hydrogen peroxide against E. coli ATCC 25922 inoculated on cantaloupe surfaces while hydrogen peroxide was better in reducing surface microflora of cantaloupe.
Microbiological and Enzymatic Production of Flavor and Fragrance Chemicals

(1989). Microbiological and Enzymatic Production of Flavor and Fragrance Chemicals. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology: Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 105-169.
Glucose homeostasis and tissue transcript content of insulin signaling intermediates in four inbred strains of mice: C57BL/6, C57BLKS/6, DBA/2, and 129X1.

Transgenic mice phenotypes generally depend on the background strains used in their creation. To examine the effects of genetic background on insulin signaling, we analyzed glucose homeostasis in four inbred strains of mice [C57BL/6 (B6), C57BLKS/6 (KLS), DBA/2 (DBA), and 129X1] and quantitated mRNA content of insulin receptor (IR) and its substrates in insulin-responsive tissues. At 2 months, the male B6 mouse is the least glucose-tolerant despite exhibiting similar insulin sensitivity and first-phase insulin secretion as the other strains. The 129X1 male mouse islet contains less insulin and exhibits a higher threshold for glucose-stimulated first-phase insulin secretion than the other strains. Female mice generally manifest better glucose tolerance than males, which is likely due to greater insulin sensitivity in liver and adipose tissue, a robust first-phase insulin secretion in B6 and KLS females, and improved insulin sensitivity in muscle in DBA and 129X1 females. At 6 months, although males exhibit...
A multifunctional HBT technology

A self-aligned AlGaAs/GaAs HBT technology has been developed for the fabrication of both high-performance microwave circuits and high-performance digital circuits. The technology provides transistors with high f/sub max/ (up to 218 GHz), high f/sub t/ (up to 98 GHz), and high efficiency (power added efficiency higher than 67.8% at 10 GHz) microwave amplification to at least 20 GHz. A MMIC amplifier has demonstrated 7-dB gain between 14 and 24 GHz. Excellent performance of high-speed digital circuits, such as ring oscillators, frequency dividers, MUXs, DEMUXs, and phase detectors has also been achieved on the same wafer. A multifunction chip covering the entire microwave band is feasible. The technology requirements and self-aligned AlGaAs/GaAs HBT process for multifunction chip application are described. The performances of HBTs, MMIC, and high-speed digital circuits fabricated on the same wafer are reported. >
Temperature and wavelength dependence of the nonlinear optical parameters of InP

Values of the nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction coefficients of InP were measured at different temperatures using picosecond and nanosecond durations lasers operating at 1064 nm and 1570 nm.
Extraoral control of geometry for digital subtraction radiography.

The use of a cephalostat to stabilize projection geometry for subtraction radiography was investigated. Six replicate repositionings of patients within a cephalostat indicated that the mean angular disparity between repositioning was 0.33 ± 0.10 degrees. Subtraction images produced from films of a phantom with artificial periodontal defects exposed using the cephalostat or stent technique were compared. There was no significant difference in the standard deviations of the gray level histograms obtained using the two methods. However, the ability of 10 investigators to detect the presence or absence of simulated periodontal lesions was superior from subtraction radiographs produced from cephalostat-based images when compared to stent-based images (p < .02). Sets of radiographs taken of 6 patients on the same day or 3 months apart indicate that the cephalometric technique may be used to stabilize projection geometry.
Cell-cycle quiescence maintains Caenorhabditis elegans germline stem cells independent of GLP-1/Notch

Adult stem cells can divide to produce cells that can develop into one of many different specialist cell types in a tissue, and so are vitally important for tissue repair and maintenance. Some types of adult stem cells exist primarily in a non-dividing state known as quiescence, which for a long time was thought to be essential for maintaining the stem cell state. However, researchers have discovered some adult stem cells that are either not quiescent, or only enter this state rarely. Until now, biologists have lacked an experimental model in which the role of quiescence in maintaining stem cells can be easily investigated. Seidel and Kimble have now investigated the role of quiescence in the germline stem cells – which give rise to egg and sperm cells – of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. The results of the study revealed that although the germline stem cells divide continuously when the worms are well fed, starving the worms causes these stem cells to become quiescent. Maintaining C. elegans germline stem cells in a stem cell state normally involves a process called Notch signaling, which cells use to communicate with each other. However, Seidel and Kimble found that the germline quiescence caused by starvation maintains the stem cell state even when Notch signaling is prevented. This suggests that, in the absence of food, quiescence alone can maintain germline stem cells, although how it does so remains a question for future work. One possibility is that quiescence stabilizes other molecules involved in the Notch signaling pathway or prevents the production of proteins that enable a stem cell to develop into a specialized cell.
Say it again Sam: the information content of corporate conference calls

This paper examines information-content of corporate conference calls. It studies the determinants, and the consequences, of information production. To facilitate this study, I develop a novel measure of information-content which analyzes every word choice made by management during both sessions of the call. In a sample of S&P 1500 firms from 2001 to 2012, this new measure of information-content explains cumulative abnormal returns. It shows how CEOs produce (suppress) information during the conference call. It shows how analyst participation in the call improves information production. It shows that a differential value is placed on information conditioned on the market segment of the firm. I contrast the effectiveness of this new measure to that of the conventional methodologies of tone and word-counting. I provide evidence that this new information-content measure is better suited to conference calls than are the other two.
The Coptic Question in the Mubarak Era by Sebastian Elsässer, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014, xv + 319 pp. ISBN: 978 0 19 936839 6, US$74.00 (hardback); ISBN: 978 0 19 936840 2, (e-book)

Since the Arab Spring began in 2010, there seems to have been a relative spike in public interest in Middle Eastern Christianity and, especially, its relationship to Islam. The same can also be sai...
Caught at the Bottom? Redistribution and Local Government in an Era of Devolution:

Conventional wisdom in public finance holds that local governments should avoid committing resources to social welfare programs. Yet many local governments have assumed significant responsibilities in this area. This article reexamines theories of fiscal federalism based on the experiences of local government with redistributive policy. Theories of fiscal federalism make assumptions about the mobility of capital and labor, the range of choices in a metropolitan region, and the extent of fiscal-independence-afforded local governments. Empirical variation in these conditions, however, results in differing outcomes from local redistribution across place and over time.
Inorganic and organic contaminants in Alaskan shorebird eggs

Many shorebird populations throughout North America are thought to be declining, with potential causes attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation, reduced prey availability, increased predation, human disturbance, and increased exposure to environmental pollutants. Shorebirds may be particularly vulnerable to contaminant exposure throughout their life cycle, as they forage primarily on invertebrates in wetlands, where many contaminants accumulate disproportionately in the sediments. Therefore, it is important to document and monitor shorebird populations thought to be at risk and assess the role that environmental contaminants may have on population declines. To investigate potential threats and provide baseline data on shorebird contaminant levels in Alaskan shorebirds, contaminant concentrations were evaluated in shorebird eggs from 16 species residing in seven geographic distinct regions of Alaska. Similar to previous studies, low levels of most inorganic and organic contaminants were found, although concentrations of several inorganic and organic contaminants were higher than those of previous studies. For example, elevated strontium levels were observed in several species, especially black oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) sampled in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Additionally, contaminant concentrations varied among species, with significantly higher concentrations of inorganic contaminants found in eggs of pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos), semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla), black oystercatcher, and bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica). Similarly, significantly higher concentrations of some organic contaminants were found in the eggs of American golden plover (Pluvialis dominica), black-bellied plover (Pluvialis squatarola), pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva), bar-tailed godwit, and semipalmated sandpiper. Despite these elevated levels, current concentrations of contaminants in shorebird eggs suggest that breeding environments are relatively free of most contaminants and that contaminant concentrations are below levels (except potentially strontium) that would likely affect the survival of individuals and consequently regulate the species at the population level.
Why choice of survey mode makes a difference.

Don A. Dillman, MS, PhD* Recently, a surveyor who directs a large monthly survey of a general population called to tell me that a simple question he asked on marital status was produc ing different responses over the Internet than when asked by telephone. In particular, he reported that the percent of respondents who answered "single" had consistently declined by about 10% on the Internet version. The reason for his call was to ask me why the web survey was being answered by more unmar ried people than the telephone survey. I responded by asking to see the exact wording of the question for both modes. Over the telephone the respondent had been read this open-ended ques tion: "What is your marital status?" The interviewer then coded the respondent's answer into one of the listed categories: single, married, separated, divorced, or widowed. Although identical wording was used for the query on the web, the respondents needed to answer by reading and marking one of the five answer categories. Further examination of the data showed that the percent of married respondents had also decreased slightly, while the percent separated had in creased significantly and the divorced and widowed categories had each in creased a little. The likely reason for these differences seemed apparent. When asked one's marital status in an open-ended fashion, single or married are the usual responses one would provide to a casual inquiry from a stranger. The remaining three categories?separated, divorced, or widowed?are more spe cific responses, which if available, some respondents would choose, but would otherwise not feel a need to volunteer. There are many reasons in this age of increased survey alternatives that differences are frequently observed in responses across different modes. Yet one of the most frequent is that surveyors inadvertently or sometimes inten tionally change how survey questions get asked and answered to better fit the particular survey mode. When I pointed out the difference between offering both the query and response choices on the web, but only the former by telephone, he responded by saying that was the standard way of asking this question over the telephone: "Our interviewers prefer it that way." The asking of many kinds of questions is affected by mode choice. In earlier years when face-to-face to interviews were our predominant data collection
Effects of dietary supplementation of vitamin E on storage and caselife properties of lamb retail cuts

Thirty wether lambs were randomly assigned to three treatments consisting of a control (C) and two vitamin E-supplemented treatments (VE), one fed 500 IU of vitamin E.lamb -1 .d -1 (E500) and the other fed 1,000 IU of vitamin E.lamb -1 .d -1 (E1000). After a 56-d feeding period, lambs were slaughtered and carcass traits were evaluated. Whole-sale legs and loins were vacuum-packaged, stored at 4 o C for 7, 14, 21, or 28 d, fabricated into retail cuts, and packaged and displayed to simulate retail industry conditions. The E1000 lambs gained less (P<.05) (kg/d; total gain) and had lower (P<.05) carcass weights than the E500 lambs. Alpha-tocopherol levels in the longissimus lumborum were higher (P<.05) (5.79 vs 3.50 μg/g of tissue) for VE than for C; however, there was no difference in alpha-tocopherol level in longissimus lumborum between E500 and E1000. Leg retail cuts experienced greater (P<.05) lipid oxidation and received lower (P<.05) lean color scores than did loin retail cuts. Less (P<.05) lipid oxidation occurred from 1 to 7 d of display in VE retail cuts than in C retail cuts. Longer storage periods before retail display resulted in greater (P<.05) lipid oxidation at both 1 and 7 d of display and a higher (P<.05) rate of lipid oxidation during the display period. Supplementing vitamin E had the greatest effect in reducing lipid oxidation when cuts were stored for longer periods before retail display. Subjective scores for lean color and overall appearance were more (P<.05) desirable for VE cuts than for C cuts at all retail display periods. Lean discoloration scores and fat color scores for VE and C cuts were not different at 0 d of display but were more (P<.05) desirable for VE cuts during subsequent display. Supplementing vitamin E extended the caselife of lamb approximately 4 d; supplementing with 1,000 IU did little to improve storage/caselife attributes of lamb cuts beyond that achieved by supplementing 500 IU/d
BRCA-associated protein 1 mutant cholangiocarcinoma: an aggressive disease subtype

Background: BRCA-associated protein 1, an enzyme encoded by the BAP1 gene, is commonly mutated in uveal melanoma, mesothelioma, and renal cancers. Tumors with BAP1 mutation follow an aggressive course. BAP1 mutations have also been observed in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). The clinical phenotype of BAP1 mutant CCA may yield useful prognostic and therapeutic information but has not been defined. Methods: The records of CCA patients who underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS) were reviewed, and data on clinical, histopathological, genetic, and radiological features; response to therapy; time to progression; and survival were analyzed. Results: Twenty-two cases of BAP1 -mutation associated CCA were diagnosed from January 1, 2009, to February 1, 2015, at our center. Twenty patients had intrahepatic CCA and two had extrahepatic CCA. Tumor sizes (largest dimension) ranged from 2 to 16 cm (mean, 8.5 cm). Twelve patients had tumors that were poorly differentiated. Majority of the patients had advanced disease at presentation and 13 had bone metastases. Thirteen patients (59%) experienced rapidly progressive disease following primary therapy (chemotherapy or surgical resection). The mean time to tumor progression was 3.8 months after the first line chemotherapy. Conclusions: BAP1 mutation in CCA may be associated with aggressive disease and poor response to standard therapies. Therefore, BAP1 -targeted therapies need to be investigated.
Molecular diagnosis and molecular profiling to detect treatment-resistant ovarian cancer.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Epithelial ovarian cancer remains the gynecologic tumor with the highest rate of recurrence after initial optimal cytoreductive surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Unfortunately, with the development of recurrent ovarian cancer often comes the discovery of chemo-resistant disease. The absence of improvement in long term survival, notwithstanding the use of newer agents as is seen in other cancers, emphasizes the need for improved understanding of the processes that lead to chemo-resistant disease.Areas Covered: This review will cover the following topics: 1. Molecular and cellular mechanisms in platinum and paclitaxel resistance 2. Other molecular mediators of chemo-resistance 3. Expression of stem cell markers in ovarian cancer and relationship to chemo-resistance 4. MicroRNA and long non-coding RNA expression in chemo-resistant ovarian cancer 5. Determination of chromosomal aberrations as markers of chemo-resistance 6. Molecular profiling in chemo-resistant disease.A standar...
Financialization and the rise in co-movement of commodity prices

Between January 2000 and June 2008, the FAO food price index rose by 96%. Besides the magnitude, the price rise was remarkable for the broad range of commodities affected; prices of agriculture commodities, energy, and metals all rose and fell together. These dramatic developments coincided with a massive inflow of investment in the commodities futures market, and the rise of commodities as an investment class. In this paper, I study causal links between the increase in the co-movement between commodity prices and financialization of the commodities futures market. I extract common factors from a group of 40 commodities using the PANIC method and include it in a factor-augment VEC model along with a proxy of financialization. Results show that financialization of the commodities futures markets can explain the recent rise in co-movement between commodity prices, after accounting for macroeconomic variables.
7 Counting classes of annulus maps

7.1 Statement of Number of Classes of Annulus Maps Theorem 7.2 Proof of Number of Classes of Annulus Maps Theorem 7.2.1 Homeomorphism of annuli. Index. 7.2.2 Characterization of combinatorial equivalence by group action. 7.2.3 Reduction to abelian groups 7.2.4 Computations and conclusion of proof
Pesticides, Including Neonicotinoids, in Drained Wetlands of Iowa’s Prairie Pothole Region

Approximately 95 % of nearly 4 million acres of wetlands located in Iowa’s portion of the Prairie Pothole Region (Des Moines Landform Region) are currently drained and farmed for row-crop agriculture. Many of these wetland basins are too wet to produce consistent crop yields and too dry to function as ecologically intact wetlands. Little information currently exists that documents what, if any value, drained wetlands may have in terms of water quality, wildlife usage and/or habitat, and key hydrological aspects. A four-year comprehensive study of drained wetlands was carried out from 2011 to 2014 to document the ecological health of these ecosystems, including the measurement of pesticide levels (including neonicotinoids in 2014). Pesticides were found in more than 60 % of samples and the most frequently detected were chloroacetanilide and triazine pesticides and associated degradate products. At times, concentrations of pesticides exceeded aquatic life benchmarks. The neonicotinoid pesticides were also detected frequently with Clothianidin being the most frequently detected (98 % of samples), followed by Thiamethoxam (54 %), and Imidacloprid (48 %). Pesticide concentration levels were then compared to high quality reference wetlands in the same region. Information from this study advances the knowledge of drained wetlands for both conservation and land-use policy related decisions.
Pd and Au Contacts to SnS: Thermodynamic Predictions and Annealing Study

Tin(II) sulfide (SnS) is emerging as an attractive p-type absorber layer material for thin film photovoltaics, which motivates the search for Ohmic, low-resistance contacts for SnS. In this study, Pd and Au contacts were prepared on sputter-deposited SnS films and electrically characterized both as-deposited and after annealing of the contacts. Ternary phase diagrams were also calculated to help predict whether the chosen metals would react with the SnS film. Pd was expected to react with the SnS film, while Au was expected to be in thermodynamic equilibrium. The Pd contacts appeared reactive, and their resistance was minimized with post-deposition annealing at 400°C, while the Au contacts showed little change upon annealing and remained unreactive.
The Dental–Medical Divide

The importance of oral health for overall well-being cannot be overstated. Yet the US dental delivery system struggles to address effectively the two most common oral diseases (caries and periodontal disease), which are among the most prevalent of all chronic diseases and are largely preventable. This article describes the evolution of contemporary US dental care policy and practice, highlighting the challenges resulting from the dental system's separation from the rest of health care, and explores the implications of this divide for the future of oral health policy and system reform. It remains unclear whether twenty-first-century dental science, information technology, interprofessional practice, and population health needs can be mounted onto the current nineteenth-century dental care delivery model. At stake is whether reform efforts will lead to a reduction in disparities and the widespread incidence of dental disease, or whether those efforts will maintain a system in which poor oral health serves as a primary marker of social inequality for the next generation of Americans.
ASSOCIATION OF COCAINE AND AMPHETAMINE USE WITH TROPONIN I CONCENTRATIONS

Background: In the absence of acute MI, cocaine use has not been significantly associated with elevations in serum troponin. The relationship between amphetamine and troponin levels remains unknown. Methods: Cross-sectional study of patients at a San Francisco emergency department who had cardiac
QRD based MVDR beamforming for fast tracking of speech and noise dynamics

Beamforming techniques are becoming popular in a wide spectrum of applications thanks to their promising performance. We consider applying the minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer in a dynamic scenario, where the desired speaker, the noise components or microphone array may move. The generalized sidelobe canceler (GSC) structure offers a convenient implementation of the MVDR, allowing to track the noise efficiently. Yet, noise reduction is degraded during speech tracking. We propose a QR Decomposition (QRD) based MVDR beamformer, which allows to track both speech and noise variations in dynamic scenarios without sacrificing noise reduction during speech segments. The proposed method utilizes the QRD algorithm for the implementation of a complete system required for the realization of an MVDR beamformer, which includes the identification of noisy speech or noise-only time-frequency bins, speech tracking and noise tracking. The proposed QRD based MVDR is efficiently implemented, and its overall computational complexity is O(M2), with M being the number of microphones. The advantages of the proposed method over the GSC are exemplified in a synthetically simulated scenario.
Thwarting analog IC piracy via combinational locking

With a relatively small number of components, analog ICs are much more vulnerable to piracy, and especially reverse engineering, than many digital ICs. However, analog IC security has received much less research attention than digital ICs. We introduce a combinational locking technique using configurable current mirror for analog IC protection. The locking circuit is designed by applying Satisfiability Modulo Theories. With the locking system, only a single key value can make analog IC operate properly while the other key values result in significant performance degradation or malfunction. Moreover, circuit output is not monotone function with respect to key values and thus systematic attack is difficult to be effective. Experimental results demonstrate that this technique can largely thwart analog IC piracy with limited overhead.
De rebeldías y revoluciones: perspectivas críticas desde abajo y desde Oriente en el pensamiento de Manuel Zapata Olivella

In this essay the problematic of violence in Colombia is explored from the political and literary perspective of Manuel Zapata Olivella. It is argued here that a more complete understanding of his perspective requires revealing the role played by two key; an historical moments that contributed to his intellectual education and development as a thinker, such as, the events occurred on April 9th, 1948 in Bogota and the transformative experience of his journey on China in 1952.
Top Picks from the 2017 Computer Architecture Conferences

This annual issue highlights what the selection committee believes to be some of the most noteworthy contributions in computer architecture published in the major architecture conferences the previous year.
High-Efficiency Multiphase Capacitive Power Transfer in Sliding Carriages With Closed-Loop Burst-Mode Current Control

Sliding carriages or gantries that use journal bearings for support are common in industrial automation, e.g., assembly lines, spindle heads, and xy tables, and their moving parts are powered through a flexible wireway or cable track. This paper eliminates the cable connection by using the parasitic capacitance of the stock sliding bearings to capacitively transfer power between stationary and moving parts. At high frequency, ac current can safely pass through the journal-rail capacitance where it is ultimately rectified on a carriage/gantry for final use. A 3.4-MHz resonant voltage sourced inverter utilizing gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron mobility transistors in a three-phase configuration enables this approach. The salient features of this paper are: 1) characterization of commercial-off-the-shelf bearings; 2) development of a three-phase matching network between the tank circuit and GaN inverter for high efficiency; and 3) control of the dc output current on the secondary (moving carriage/gantry) side using only primary (stationary) side sensed quantities and burst-mode control. A controller developed from a small signal operating point model uses average bearing displacement current, measured by ac sense coils embedded in the tank inductors, to accurately regulate dc output current. The experimental tests at a tank resonance of 3.4 MHz demonstrate >100-W power transfer through an off-the-shelf bearing to a sliding carriage load with 95% efficiency. This system, when paired with a burst-mode frequency of 10 kHz, demonstrates current regulation on the carriage load with a bandwidth of 200 Hz.