cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ancient Migrations: Biodistance, Genetics, and the Persistence of Typological Thinking

Social media is awash with the latest discoveries about the human past. Headlines read: “DNA of ancient skeleton linked to modern indigenous peoples,” “Ancient DNA suggests the first Americans sidestepped the glaciers,” and “Ancient DNA reveals secrets of human history.” These headlines all come from respected outlets with a connection to the academic community (Smithsonian, Science, and Nature, respectively). However, news media outlets with a more popular audience have also become interested in the stories and histories being revealed about our ancestors through modern and ancient DNA, and new toolkits include a heavy bioinformatics component. As expected, these headlines are a bit more sensational: “Are you tall? Then thank your ancient cousins: Neanderthal DNA still helps dictate your HEIGHT and whether you suffer from lupus and schizophrenia” reads a Daily Mail headline about Neanderthal admixture. Another reads: “The ‘founding father’ of Europe: DNA reveals all Europeans are related to a group that lived around 35,000 years ago.” Yet another, seemingly contradictory, headline reads: “Europeans drawn from three ancient ‘tribes.’” Communications technology has evolved in lockstep with advances in DNA recovery and analysis over the last two decades, perhaps giving the impression that studies of past population movements are a recent development. However, interest in “ancient migrations” has a deep history in western science, beginning with analyses of the skull using what are now referred to as biological distance methods.
Detection of Incumbent Radar in the 3.5 GHZ CBRS Band

In the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), 100 MHz of spectrum will be shared between commercial users and federal incumbents. Dynamic use of the band relies on a network of sensors dedicated to detecting the presence of federal incumbent signals and triggering protection mechanisms when necessary. This paper uses field-measured waveforms of incumbent signals in and adjacent to the band to evaluate the performance of matched-filter detectors for these sensors. We find that the proposed detectors exceed the requirements for performance in the presence of co-channel interference from commercial long term evolution (LTE) signals, meaning that more commercial devices can use the band in the proximity of sensors. Furthermore, the detectors are robust to out-of-band emissions into this band from adjacent-band radars, which prior studies have found can be significant.
p53 Signaling in Cancers

This special issue on p53 explores different aspects of the significance of p53 in normal cells and in cancer [...]
Utilização de um Sistema de Informações Geográficas para o Planejamento Ambiental em Rio Grande, RS - Brasil

The social, economics and environmental problems that arise by the fast and inadequate occupation of the coastal zones have required faster decisions and belter rational use of the public administration resources. This work shows the utilization of Geographical Information System IDRISI to environmental planning of Rio Grande county, southern Brazil. Based on digital thematic maps of geology, soils, vegetation. urban sites, legal protection areas and previous knowledge about the ecosystem under consideration, the more appropriated areas for agricultural activities, pine and eucalyptus forestry and waste disposal were mapped. The suitable environmental conditions and the technical and/or environmental restrictions were analysed for each item and then modelled in the computer using the analytical tools of the software. Furthermore, the legal protection areas were classified in conservation and preservation categories according to their environmental characteristics. The results demonstrated the potentiality and feasibility of a Geographical Information System as a powerful tool for organi13tion, analysis and decision making on municipal planning.
Investigation into the Effects of Static Electricity on Wind Turbine Systems

Wind turbines employed today use a variety on onboard electronics systems. These onboard electronics include a wide variety of controls and sensors for maintaining wind turbines within their operational ranges. As such, interference or interruptions of these electronics can cause unwanted system behavior or worse, system damage and destruction. A significant source for wind turbine performance degradation or reductions in reliability comes in the form of static electricity. As wind turbine blades sweep through the air, electrostatic accumulation occurs on the wind turbine blade surfaces. This accumulation can have detrimental effects on the system’s equipment unless proper precautions are taken to mitigate static electric charge accumulation. The scope of this research is to analyze the capability and effects of electrostatic accumulation on wind turbine components. This research is intended to (1) define the current risk that static electricity poses to wind turbines, (2) investigate causes for static electric accumulation, and (3) assess potential mitigation methods to better safeguard wind turbines against the effects of static electricity.
Peace Education and Gender in Africa: Reflections on the Work of Dr. Betty Reardon

The protection of human rights comes with respect for all persons irrespective of their gender. African societies should not be immune to this reality.
Editorial Comment from Dr Senel to Circumcision with a novel disposable device in Chinese children: A randomized controlled trial

ing the use of PrePex device in children’s circumcision. Although the initial report of Yan with the Shenghuan device in child circumcision reported the ease of application within a short duration with low complications and satisfactory cosmetic results, it was not a comparative study. 2 In the current study, 4 two methods of the Shenghuan circumcision technique carried out in children were compared for the first time. According to the results, Yan’s method seems better for child circumcision compared with the Peng method, as the device might fall off on its own, thus avoiding extra pain during removal. Additionally, the overall failure rate of 13.5% as a result of phymosis in Peng’s method is a limiting aspect of the method for children’s circumcision. The outcomes and complications of different Shenghuan methods were also compared with the conventional dissection technique in the current study. Although a previous study of Li et al. compared the results of Shenghuan circumcision with those of conventional surgical procedures, the data were limited to adult circumcisions. 5 In both studies, the Shenghuan methods were found superior to conventional surgical procedure because of shorter operation time and better cosmetic appearance. Li also reported a lower degree of pain after circumcisions carried out with the Shenghuan device. A difference of the current study was the higher degree of early post-circumcision pain observed among the children circumcised with the Shenghuan device. This could be related to different age groups enrolled in these two studies. Nevertheless, there is a need for a randomized study with a higher number of children to compare postcircumcision pain. In addition, the pain after circumcision and during the removal of the Shenghuan device can be compared with a similar disposable device utilized in children’s circumcision, such as Ali’s clamp, where the device is removed 3–5 days after circumcision within a mean of 15 s. 6 It was interesting that the authors were not able to find any significant difference between the complication rates of the Shenghuan device and the conventional technique. The previous studies reported significant differences between these two techniques regarding bleeding and infection rates; therefore, disposable devices were suggested as the choice of circumcision. 5,7 The similar complication rates between the different techniques in the current study might be related to the limited sample size. The authors will probably observe significant differences among the complication rates as their experience with the Shenghuan techniques increases. As a summary, the Shenghuan technique seems to be a safer and quicker method for children’s circumcision with better cosmetic results compared with conventional techniques despite the disadvantages, such as longer duration of pain, difficulty of removal or long fall-off period of the device.
Application of assistive technology in inclusive classrooms.

Purpose: In recent years more and more students with disabilities are included in general education settings; there is an increased demand for assistive technology application to accommodate their special needs in inclusive settings. This creates an atmosphere for studies on assistive technology applications in K-12 settings.Method: This synthesis study reviewed research articles related to this topic in the past decade. Ten key words were used and relevant databases were searched.Results: Thirty articles were found. After sorting, reviewing and analyzing; the two authors used seven research articles for the study on assistive technology applications in contemporary k-12 schools.Conclusion: The researchers that examined school aged children, all agreed that children with disabilities would benefit from the use of assistive technology. However, they also agree that teachers are not prepared to incorporate advanced technology in the classroom. The results also show that children with physical disabilities in preschool may be too young to independently use advanced technology.Implications for RehabilitationStudents with severe disabilities often have limited interactions with same age peers. Technology can provide a means to increase the quality and quantity of time interacting with young student's peers. Robotic technology has been proven to greatly assist with these interactions.In order for a student to maintain a rehabilitation program, they need to be engaged. Current technology promotes building recreational skills that lead to classroom skills, within entertaining and engaging activities.Daily life skills can be impacted by severe disabilities. Assistive technology has been proven to assist with these issues. Caregivers for children with autism reported improvement for life skills activities using both low- and high-tech methods.
Gut microbiota and neuroinflammation in pathogenesis of hypertension: A potential role for hydrogen sulfide

Inflammation and gut dysbiosis are hallmarks of hypertension (HTN). Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important freely diffusing molecule that modulates the function of neural, cardiovascular and immune systems, and circulating levels of H2S are reduced in animals and humans with HTN. While most research to date has focused on H₂S produced endogenously by the host, H2S is also produced by the gut bacteria and may affect the host homeostasis. Here, we review an association between neuroinflammation and gut dysbiosis in HTN, with special emphasis on a potential role of H2S in this interplay.
Measuring the Built Environment for Aging in Place: A Review of Neighborhood Audit Tools:

What audit tools are available to assess neighborhood suitability for aging in place? Drawing on theories from environmental gerontology, the article outlines physical and social environmental char...
Trauma from Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence as a Potential Risk Factor for Elder Abuse.

Older adults who are the victims of previous physical and emotional sibling violence may be more vulnerable to acts of elder abuse. Research establishes that elder abuse is traumatic, as is sibling...
Evaluation of Lean Distribution Systems of Electricity Production Networks with Mathematical Programming and Simulation Method in Photo voltaic Power Generations

Currently waste of energy is one of the most important issues, power plants are encountered all over the world. In this study, two mathematical programming models are presented to formulate solar power plants pertinent to the design of a lean manufacturing system. We propose an approach consisting of a combination of mathematical and economic models used for distribution systems of electricity transmission networks. Besides the system, diverse costs and the rate of energy waste during the transmission are considered as two criteria for the comparison. The main approach is to employ a simulation method for both models and draw a comparison between the results of simulation and optimization models run by Lingo software. Finally, analyzing the test results lead the system to a remarkable cost reduction of the country energy demand in the distribution system of electricity transmission networks.
Bad-faith cooperation

In many political contexts, antagonistic actors face a tradeoff. Broadly, they profit from noncooperative actions. But taking those actions signals unfriendly preferences to their targets, who may ...
Failure Mitigation and Restoration in Interdependent Networks via Mixed-Integer Optimization

We propose a new optimization model for determining optimal mitigation and restoration strategies for coupled interdependent networks in the context of preserving and/or restoring the maximum flow through the entire networked system, subject to cascading node failures that may be caused by disruptions of a subset of “seed nodes” at an initial time step. Previous related studies mainly focused on “static” strategies to mitigate cascading failures. However, our model allows one to identify “dynamic” strategies for step-by-step failure propagation, given initial seed node disruptions. Moreover, the proposed model accounts for backup arc capacity and node fortification to mitigate the impact of further failure cascades on network performance. The objective is to restore network performance during a finite recovery planning horizon at total minimal cost. We formulate this problem by mixed-integer optimization, and derive valid inequalities using the substructure of the problem. We report a summary of computational experiments to demonstrate the strength and effectiveness of the inequalities when compared to solving the problem with a commercial optimization solver.
(Re)imagining African futures: Wakanda and the politics of transnational Blackness

Black Panther (2018) is now one of the most popular Hollywood movies across the globe featuring a predominantly Black cast. Its success lies not only in economic value, but also in its ability to p...
The correlation between atmospheric visibility and influenza in Wuxi city, China.

Influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease that poses a threat to public health. We assessed the association between atmospheric visibility and influenza and influenza-like illness (ILI) in Wuxi city, China.Daily meteorological data, ILI activity, and influenza virus infection rates were collected between 31 December 2012 and 31 December 2017. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to analyze the exposure-lag-response of ILI and influenza activity and daily average visibility.A total of 12,800 cases were detected; 1046 cases (8.17%) were of Flu-A and 527 (4.12%) were of Flu-B infection. Our analysis suggested a non-linear relationship between atmospheric visibility and influenza: U-shaped for ILI, and L-shaped for Flu-A and Flu-B. Comparing low visibility (2.5 km) to ILI cases, the risk appeared between day 1 and day 2. For Flu-A, the risk appeared between days 5 and 9, whereas for Flu-B, the risk effect was much stronger and had a longer reaction delay, staying above zero until day 9. The protective effects of high visibility (14 km) on ILI and Flu-B occurred the same day or one day later. However, we found no association between high visibility and Flu-A.In conclusion, our study contributes novel evidence for the effects of atmospheric visibility on influenza. These findings are important for the development of influenza surveillance and early warning systems in Wuxi city.
People of Korean Heritage

This chapter describes background information, health-related beliefs and values, and health-related behaviors of people of Korean heritage. The chapter begins with an overview on geographical characteristics, history, culture, and populations on the Korean peninsula. Typical communication styles and relationships, traditional and typical family roles and organization, workforce issues, and biocultural ecology are presented to provide background information of Korean populations. More details are presented on high-risk health behaviors, health-care practices, typical meals and dietary practices, pregnancy and childbearing practices, death rituals, spirituality, barriers to health care, and traditional versus biomedical health-care providers.
Changes in Tropospheric and Stratospheric Global Temperatures, 1958-1988

Abstract Based on a network of 63 radiosonde stations distributed fairly evenly around the world, the global tropospheric temperature in 1988 was the maximum observed since the beginning of the record in 1958,0.02°C warmer than 1983, 0.06°C warmer than 1987, and about 0.16°C warmer than 1980 and 1981. The global tropospheric temperature is indicated to have increased by a significant 0.2°C between 1958–72 and 1974–88, but with most of the warming in the Southern Hemisphere and the north temperate zone even cooling slightly. Between these two intervals there was cooling in all climatic zones in the tropopause layer, the cooling of 0.2–O.3°C being significant in both hemispheres. The global low stratosphere cooled by more than 1.5°C following the 0.5°C warming occasioned by the El Chichon volcanic eruption, with most of the cooling in the Southern Hemisphere and, in particular, in the south polar zone (Antarctic “ozone hole” phenomenon). Emphasized is the strong influence of El Nino on global tropospheric temperatures about two seasons later, and because of the El Nino in 1987, the need for caution in relating the record warmth of 1988 to any greenhouse effect. Discussed is the extent to which these tropospheric and stratospheric temperature changes support the presumption that a greenhouse effect is already being observed.
"The solitude absorbs and it oppresses": 'Illegality' and its implications on Latino immigrant day laborers' social isolation, loneliness and health.

Abstract Despite a well-documented relationship between social isolation and health among men, this link has been understudied among marginalized populations such as undocumented immigrant men whose structural social exclusion may impede the cultivation and maintenance of social connections in the United States. This may be particularly so in new immigrant settlement cities that may lack an established Latina/o community or the social infrastructure often needed to ease the process of social integration. Studies that have examined social disconnectedness, social isolation, and/or loneliness have largely focused on individual level factors (i.e., older age) that may precipitate or contextualize experiences of social isolation, social support and social networks. Missing from such conceptualizations is a consideration of the role of structural factors, such as “illegality” among undocumented immigrant men, on experiences of social disconnection, social exclusion, social isolation and loneliness and resultant adverse health behaviors. This study, through in-depth qualitative participant narratives, explores the social condition of one group of “illegal” immigrant men, Latino immigrant day laborers (LIDL), and their experiences of social exclusion, social isolation, loneliness and health in the new immigrant settlement city of Baltimore. Using an ethnographic methodological approach, eight focus groups (N = 37) were conducted with participants recruited from two day labor sites from 2016 to 2019. Thematic analysis revealed a structural process of social exclusion and disconnection that exposed LIDLs to experiences of racism, structural vulnerability, and dehumanization which in turn may have heightened social isolation and loneliness and patterned substance use and sexual risk taking. Findings further emphasize the potential conceptual significance of structurally induced social disconnection, as distinct from lack of social support, in the study of LIDLs' social isolation, loneliness and health.
Detecting Nuclear Materials in Urban Environments Using Mobile Sensor Networks

Radiation detectors installed at major ports of entry are a key component of the overall strategy to protect countries from nuclear terrorism. While the goal of deploying these systems is to intercept special nuclear material as it enters the country, no detector system is foolproof. Mobile, distributed sensors have been proposed to detect nuclear materials in transit should portal monitors fail to prevent their entry in the first place. In large metropolitan areas, a mobile distributed sensor network could be deployed using vehicle platforms such as taxis, Ubers, and Lyfts, which are already connected to communications infrastructure. However, performance and coverage that could be achieved using a network of sensors mounted on commercial passenger vehicles has not been established. Here, we evaluate how a mobile sensor network could perform in New York City using a combination of radiation transport and geographic information systems. The geographic information system is used in conjunction with OpenStreetMap data to isolate roads and construct a grid over the streets. Vehicle paths are built using pickup and drop off data from Uber, and from the New York State Department of Transportation. The results show that the time to first detection increases with source velocity, decreases with the number of mobile detectors, and reaches a plateau that depends on the strength of the source.
Multiparametric MRI texture analysis in prediction of glioma biomarker status: added value of MR diffusion.

Author(s): Kihira, Shingo; Tsankova, Nadejda M; Bauer, Adam; Sakai, Yu; Mahmoudi, Keon; Zubizarreta, Nicole; Houldsworth, Jane; Khan, Fahad; Salamon, Noriko; Hormigo, Adilia; Nael, Kambiz | Abstract: BackgroundEarly identification of glioma molecular phenotypes can lead to understanding of patient prognosis and treatment guidance. We aimed to develop a multiparametric MRI texture analysis model using a combination of conventional and diffusion MRI to predict a wide range of biomarkers in patients with glioma.MethodsIn this retrospective study, patients were included if they (1) had diagnosis of gliomas with known IDH1, EGFR, MGMT, ATRX, TP53, and PTEN status from surgical pathology and (2) had preoperative MRI including FLAIR, T1c+ and diffusion for radiomic texture analysis. Statistical analysis included logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine the optimal model for predicting glioma biomarkers. A comparative analysis between ROCs (conventional only vs conventional + diffusion) was performed.ResultsFrom a total of 111 patients included, 91 (82%) were categorized to training and 20 (18%) to test datasets. Constructed cross-validated model using a combination of texture features from conventional and diffusion MRI resulted in overall AUC/accuracy of 1/79% for IDH1, 0.99/80% for ATRX, 0.79/67% for MGMT, and 0.77/66% for EGFR. The addition of diffusion data to conventional MRI features significantly (P l .05) increased predictive performance for IDH1, MGMT, and ATRX. The overall accuracy of the final model in predicting biomarkers in the test group was 80% (IDH1), 70% (ATRX), 70% (MGMT), and 75% (EGFR).ConclusionAddition of MR diffusion to conventional MRI features provides added diagnostic value in preoperative determination of IDH1, MGMT, and ATRX in patients with glioma.
A New Method for Studying Morality in Early Parent-Child Relations

parents, mothers or fathers, of 3-5 year old children in a pre-school nursery kept diaries of problematic encounters within the family. Two of these encounters were later presented as 'pretend' stories to that child who made judgments of and emotionally reacted as if he/she were the story actor including giving reasons for complying. Encounters were coded into different domains (moral, social-conventional, prudential, etc.), and children's reactions compared across domains within each pair of encounters. Instead of the standard "right"/"wrong" question, the children were asked why they would/wouldn't commit the transgression again. All children said that they wouldn't do it again, but their reasons were more often congruent or consistent with the nature of prudential than of other kinds of transgressions, especially than moral transgressions. This suggests that while children may know "right from wrong," they do not see it as relevant to their moral behavior.
Interband cascade laser operating to 269 K at /spl lambda/=4.05 /spl mu/m

A ten-stage interband cascade laser with 13 mum-wide, 4 mm-long ridge waveguide and Au electroplating for improved epitaxial-side-up heatsinking operates CW to a temperature of 269 K, where the emission wavelength is 4.05 mum. Maximum CW output powers are 130 mW at 78 K, 58 mW at 200 K, and 9 mW at 260 K, and the threshold current density at T=260 K is 660 A/cm 2
When Unconscious Wishes Become Laws: Policing Memory and Identity in Israel and Palestine

This paper proposes a psychoanalytically-informed model for the policing of memory and identity in Israel and Palestine. Borrowing from both empirically- and clinically-validated insights into psychopathology, it purports to account for the increasingly frequent attempts of the Israeli government to suppress alternatives to the extant Zionist narrative using legislative and administrative means. The model explains why, counter-intuitively, these attempts to impose an idealized Zionist narrative have markedly increased in the past several years, at a time when Israel's military power, geographical expansion and economic prosperity are arguably at an all-time high. Supported by examples from both world history and Israeli documents, the proposed model suggests a dynamic link between trauma, annihilation anxiety, hyper-vigilance and defensive behavior on a nation-wide level, which runs as a leitmotiv in both Israeli government actions and in sentiments expressed by a considerable portion of Israeli society, from the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948. The model further uses psychodynamic insights to account for the cognitive-emotional rigidity underpinning the discrepancy in the perceptions of reality between Israel's narrative and its sundry worldwide alternatives. The model posits that this growing discrepancy between worldwide public opinion and Israeli internal reasoning may underlie the growing disapproval and isolation of Israel in both diplomatic circles and world media. Finally, following psychodynamically-oriented therapeutic practices, the explanatory power of the model is harnessed to suggest potentially effective remedial attitudes and interventions, whose mutative powers may be of use to psychodynamically-trained mental health professionals who may be involved in future reconciliation efforts between Israel and Palestine. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Manipulation of cells through elastic films

Manipulation of cells in open dishes is often incompatible withpreservation of sterility. A dish covered with an elastic orstretchable latex or plastic film allows manipulation of cellsthrough the film with preservation of sterility of the cultureand the integrity of the film. The latter forms a `microglove'for the instrument tip. The idea of manipulation through a thintransparent film is also applicable to general surgery, so thatthe surgeon's hand operates through a film and without a glove.
Identifying the Magnitude and Location of a Load on a Slender Beam Using a Strain Gauge Based Force Transducer

A unique strain gauge based method is developed to identify the magnitude and location of a load on a slender beam with variable cross sections, and pinned, firm rest, soft rest, pinned-fixed, and fixed boundary conditions. Four uniaxial strain gauges are mounted to the bottom surface of the beam, and the bending moment diagram of the beam can be constructed using measured strains on the beam. By combining individually scaled strain gauge outputs, the magnitude and location of the load can be accurately identified. The strain gauge based force transducer methodology is experimentally validated on prismatic beams with firm rest, soft rest, firm rest-fixed, and fixed boundary conditions, and a continuously tapered beam with rest boundary conditions. The force transducer methodology is independent of the boundary conditions of the beam, and the error from strain gauge drift due to uniform thermal expansion on a prismatic beam can cancel out.
Tribal Sovereign Interests Beyond the Reservation Borders

In this article, after exploring the evolution of 'sovereignty' from a territorially based concept to a more flexible and fluid principle, professor Skibine examines the sovereign interests Indian tribes may have beyond the borders of their reservations.
Public Safety and the Right to Bear Arms

On Tuesday November 20th, 2007 the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in a case involving the District of Columbia's ban on handguns. The statute had been successfully challenged in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on the grounds that it violated the Second Amendment's guarantee of "the right of the people to keep and bear arms." With its decision to grant certiorari, the Supreme Court entered a constitutional controversy from which it had been largely absent for nearly seventy years, the meaning and scope of the Second Amendment. That controversy, the debate over the Second Amendment has occupied a somewhat curious place in American constitutional discourse. It is the subject of a vast polemical literature in the popular press, part of the often strident debate over gun control. Where once the amendment suffered from an unfortunate scholarly neglect, it has over the last two decades, become an arena of lively and sometimes acrimonious debate among historians, legal scholars and political scientists. The Court's decision is likely to provide a definitive legal ruling on the amendment although it is unlikely to end the controversy over the amendment's original meaning and how it should be applied in modern America.
Feynman Equation in Hamiltonian Quantum Field Theory

Functional Schrodinger equations for interacting fields are solved via rigorous non-perturbative Feynman type integrals.
The power of competition: Effects of social motivation on attention, sustained physical effort, and learning

Competition has often been implicated as a means to improve effort-based learning and attention. Two experiments examined the effects of competition on effort and memory. In Experiment 1, participants completed a physical effort task in which they were rewarded for winning an overall percentage, or for winning a competition they believed was against another player. In Experiment 2, participants completed a memory task in which they were rewarded for remembering an overall percentage of shapes, or more shapes than a "competitor." We found that, in the physical effort task, participants demonstrated faster reaction times (RTs)-a previous indicator of increased attention-in the competitive environment. Moreover, individual differences predicted the salience of competition's effect. Furthermore, male participants showed faster RTs and greater sustained effort as a result of a competitive environment, suggesting that males may be more affected by competition in physical effort tasks. However, in Experiment 2, participants remembered fewer shapes when competing, and later recalled less of these shapes during a post-test, suggesting that competition was harmful in our memory task. The different results from these two experiments suggest that competition can improve attention in a physical effort task, yet caution the use of competition in memory tasks.
Preservice teachers’ adaptations to tensions associated with the edTPA during its early implementation in New York and Washington states

The edTPA is a teaching performance assessment (TPA) that the states of New York and Washington implemented as a licensure requirement in 2013. While TPAs are not new modes of assessment, New York and Washington are the first states to use the edTPA specifically as a compulsory, high-stakes policy lever in an effort to strengthen the quality and accountability of teachers and teacher educators. This study examines 24 New York and Washington teaching candidates’ experiences with the edTPA during its first year of consequential use for state certification. The data, drawn from qualitative interviews that were part of a larger mixed-methods study, reveal that preservice teachers had to mediate several tensions associated with the edTPA’s dual role as a formative assessment tool and a licensure mechanism. In this paper, we identify those tensions, describe candidates’ efforts to mediate them, and discuss the extent to which that mediation process may or may not contribute to the improvement of teachers’ practices. Given the edTPA’s positioning in a policy context – specifically, the potential for the assessment’s locus of control, high stakes, and opaque rating process to distort the procedures it is intended to measure – the paper concludes with recommendations for teacher education programs aimed at capitalizing on the edTPA’s benefits and mitigating its unproductive tensions.
Eosinophil response to aggressive behaviour in CFW albino mice

Abstract Two populations of CFW albino mice of the same density (four per cage) but of different composition were set up in order to create two intensities of aggressive behaviour while maintaining a constant population density. One group of male mice was weaned at 21 days, individually isolated for 21 days, and then placed into groups of four. Isolated individuals remained as controls. The second group of mice was weaned at 21 days, isolated as pairs (one female and one male) and then placed into groups of four consisting of two pairs. Isolated pairs remained as controls. Isolated male mice when placed in groups of four displayed intense aggressive activity which resulted in significantly depressed eosinophil levels for one week after grouping. There was a 94·d3 per cent, decline in eosinophil levels 4 hours after grouping. Adrenal hypertrophy and decreased testes weights also occurred. Social rank behaviour was rapidly organized in these groups. The dominant individual consistently maintained a higher eosinophil level than the subordinates; this difference, however, was significant only at one week after grouping. Groups containing females displayed mild aggressive activity which resulted in a significantly depressed eosinophil level (53 per cent, decline) only at four hours after grouping. No significant adrenal or testes weight differences occurred. These results indicate that decreased aggressive activity results in decreased stress. Social rank behaviour was not shown in these groups. The intensity of aggressive behaviour displayed by a population may be of greater significance than population density alone in influencing population dynamics in house mice.
Restoration of an Alpine Disturbance: Differential Success of Species in Turf Transplants, Colorado, U.S.A.

Evaluating techniques for restoring alpine environments is important due to increasing human impacts on Colorado mountains. We studied restoration success after 1 yr on an alpine area disturbed by trampling at 3700 m a.s.l., Humboldt Peak, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Colorado. This area was revegetated in summer 1997 by transplanting pieces of turf cut from a new trail. For both transplants and controls, 100 points were sampled in seventeen 70 X 70 cm plots. Vascular plant species richness did not differ between transplant and control plots. Thirtyone species showed absolute covers not significantly different between transplant and control plots, and twelve species had higher covers in control plots or showed a strong trend in that direction. Sums of covers of all species declined by 35% in transplant plots. Transplant and control plots had differential relative success of some important species as measured by relative cover although almost all differences were small. Grasses increased moderately and forbs declined by 9%. Relative cover of the dominant, Geum rossii, as well as two common graminoids, Carex phaeocephala and Trisetum spicatum, decreased in transplant plots. The forbs Polygonum bistortoides and Potentilla subjuga increased in relative cover in transplant plots; one of the dominant species, Carex elynoides, and many secondary species, were not different between treatments. Success in total cover and of almost all species after 1 yr indicates turf-transplants work well in this community and should feasible.
Ultrafast nonlinear optical studies of surface reaction processes

Surface grating and reflective electro-optic sampling are used to characterize interfacial hole transfer dynamics at n-GaAs(100)/[Se-2/Sen-1] aqueous interface. Complementary femtosecond optical Kerr studies of the response of water to field changes are presented as a probe of the intermolecular solvent modes coupled to the reaction coordinate.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Secular iconoclasm: purifying, privatizing, and profaning public faith

Secularists tend not to destroy religious icons, but to displace them. This, too, is a form of iconoclasm. By excluding certain symbols from public places, they treat them as idols—threats to the freedom of rational, rights-bearing citizens and thus to the sacred spaces of the democratic nation-state. In so doing, they inscribe these supposedly neutral spaces with specific cultural and religious norms. Yet contrary to increasingly popular arguments on both the right and left, these norms vary greatly from place to place, audience to audience, actor to actor. This variety makes it difficult if not impossible to speak of a coherent secular spatiality, let alone a coherent secular subject. In the USA, iconoclastic performances produce secular places in great variety, some hostile to religion, others to religious nationalism, and others to the state. Focusing on legal conflicts over state-sponsored religious speech, this article aims to problematize the notion of ‘secular normativity’ by analyzing some of thi...
Retinal sensitivity and adaptation in pediatric patients.

Abstract A two-alternative forced-choice preferential looking psychophysical procedure was used to measure dark-adapted thresholds of 79 patients whose medical and ophthalmological conditions raised the possibility of scotopic retinal disorders. The average dark-adapted threshold first obtained from 48 patients, who eventually manifested diseases affecting the scotopic retina, was higher than the average threshold of the 31 patients without scotopic disease. Among the 48 patients with scotopic disease, most (40 out of 48) had abnormal electroretino-graphic b-wave amplitudes; in 23 scotopic b-waves were present but attenuated to ≤ 30% of the normal mean; no scotopic b-wave responses could be elicited from 17. In only 6 of the 40 patients with abnormal scotopic b-waves were the psychophysical thresholds elevated > 2.5 log units. That is, the scotopic b-wave is often sensitive to the effects of the retinal disorders of our patients, but the wider range of psychophysical responses permits investigation and analysis of retinal function. In the 13 patients for whom b-wave thresholds could be determined, b-wave and psychophysical thresholds were not correlated, further suggesting that electroretinographic and psychophysical data provide complementary information about retinal function. Thus the psychophysical techniques are suitable for investigation of the functional organization of diseased pediatric retinas. In patients with retinal disorders psychophysical procedures have enabled description of temporal and spatial summation and adaptation to steady background lights. Examples of results of spatial summation and background adaptation studies are presented in this report.
User intentions funneled through a human-robot interface

We describe a method for predicting user intentions as part of a human-robot interface. In particular, we show that funnels, i.e., geometric objects that partition an input space, provide a convenient means for discriminating individual objects and for clustering sets of objects for hierarchical tasks. One advantage of the proposed implementation is that a simple parametric model can be used to specify the shape of a funnel, and a straightforward heuristic for setting initial parameter values appears promising. We discuss the possibility of adapting the user interface with machine learning techniques, and we illustrate the approach with a humanoid robot performing a variation of a standard peg-insertion task.
School Counselors' Comfort and Competence With Spirituality Issues

Forty-four school counselors and school counseling interns participated in a descriptive study that explored whether students include spirituality and religious issues when they see their school counselor and assessed school counselors' comfort and perceived competence in addressing these concerns. Findings indicated that most respondents (86%) had spirituality and religious issues arise in their student-counseling-related interactions; 88% reported feeling comfortable with the issues and 61% believed they were competent to address them. The majority of the respondents attributed their competence to their master's-level graduate training; 80% also identified the need to improve their competence level. Implications for practice were discussed.
A Comparison of Risk Factors Between Incarcerated and Nonincarcerated Female Juvenile Offenders

ABSTRACT This study provides a comparative analysis between female juvenile offenders with a lesser offense who attend an alternative day treatment program and those girls with a more serious offense who were sentenced to a residential treatment facility. Anonymous descriptive data were obtained from the closed cases of clients from the PACE Center for Girls (n=47), an alternative school setting for at-risk girls, and the Northside Mental Health Hospital—Girls Intensive Residential Learning Services Program (n=67). The mean age was 17 years old. Given that the statistically significant data focused primarily on physical and mental health, it is proposed that communities could decrease the exorbitant cost of residential treatment by providing access to adequate physical and mental health services to the female juvenile offenders at day treatment facilities, including health education. Additionally, increased access to health education and screening in schools and community settings might reduce the number ...
Goodness-of-Fit in the User-Computer Interface: A Hierarchical Control Framework Related to "Friendliness"

A hierarchical model is used as a vehicle to integrate concepts related to user-system interfaces from a variety of different disciplines. The model is based on the notion that the user and the system constitute two independent control systems and that proper intersystem communication can take place only when each operates with appropriate expectations about the control strategies used by the other. Obstacles to efficient communications on each level of the hierarchical model are identified, and implications for effective interaction strategies are discussed.
Oncostatin M suppresses EGF-mediated protein tyrosine phosphorylation in breast cancer cells.

The effect of oncostatin M (OM) on epidermal growth factor (EGF)-mediated protein tyrosine phosphorylation in an infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma cell line, H3922, was investigated by Western blot analysis. Pretreatment of H3922 cells with OM for 72 h suppressed EGF-stimulated protein tyrosine phosphorylation signals by 77%. Interestingly, pretreatment with OM for 6 or 48 h had little effect on these signals. EGF-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of EGF receptor (EGFR) was suppressed by 55% in 72-h OM pretreated H3922 cells. No reduction in EGFR protein expression was detected in these cells. Flow cytometric analysis verified that OM does not suppress EGFR expression. The effect of OM could not be attributed to induction of protein tyrosine phosphatases. An H3922 subclone cell line, designated H3922-8, was found to exhibit no proliferative response to treatment with EGF. However, EGF-mediated protein tyrosine phosphorylation was detected in these cells. Radioligand EGF binding studies comparing H3922 to H3922-8 cells indicated that the clonal cells apparently lack high affinity EGF receptors. The mechanism by which OM suppresses EGF-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation has not been completely characterized. However, the suppressive effect occurs regardless of whether the cells are acutely responsive (H3922) or virtually unresponsive (H3922-8) to EGF stimulation of cell growth.
Neutron s states in loosely bound nuclei

It is well-known that the relative energies of the 1s1/2 and 0d5/2 single-particle states vary drastically in light nuclei. This work shows that the effect is caused by the special properties of the neutron state with zero angular momentum, which approaches zero binding much more slowly than other orbits. Interestingly, the behavior of the relative energies of these states is fit remarkably well by a standard Woods-Saxon potential well.
Paczolt & Jones reply

Replying to: D. T. Gwynne, K. A. Judge & C. D. Kelly , 10.1038/nature09275 (2010) Our recent study of pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection in the sex-role-reversed Gulf pipefish indicates that males prefer to mate with larger females compared to smaller females, that larger females transfer more eggs per copulation than smaller females, that the eggs from larger females are more likely to result in viable offspring than eggs from smaller females, and that males experience fitness trade-offs between broods1. We suggest that the most likely explanation for this suite of results is that males exert choice before and after copulation in a way that favours larger females over smaller females during every phase of pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection. Gwynne et al.2 have challenged the interpretation of one facet of our results by suggesting that males do not differentially allocate resources to offspring originating from different females. Rather, they suggest that our results can be explained entirely by differences among females in fecundity, egg size and egg quality2.
Object Tracking via Compressive Sensing

We propose a novel, low-cost and efficient tracking system for various spectrums based on the single pixel camera. By designing patterns that effectively preserve the object location, the guaranteed tracking speed is considerably improved.