cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A REVIEW OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO PREPARE PARENTS FOR CUSTODY AND VISITATION MEDIATION

Mediation orientation programs are an increasingly common resource for parents preparing to mediate custody and visitation disputes. In this paper, we review empirical studies on program effectiveness and describe a range of programs in the U.S. Most are brief and psychoeducational in nature, focusing on the mediation process and the effects of conflict on children. Programs typically provide information through reading materials, slides, and videos, either in a group setting or online. Few evaluate program effectiveness. We offer suggestions for program evaluation and introduce an assessment-based framework for providing individualized services for parents. Key Points for the Family Court Community • Few Mediation Orientation programs have been empirically evaluated. • Useful research designs would include (1) assessing participants both before and after the program and (2) comparing program participants to non-participants. • The psychoeducational components of Mediation Orientation programs may need to be tailored for low- and high-conflict couples.
Multiepitope Trojan Antigen Peptide Vaccines for the Induction of Antitumor CTL and Th Immune Responses

We describe in this study a strategy to produce synthetic vaccines based on a single polypeptide capable of eliciting strong immune responses to a combination CTL and Th epitopes with the purpose of treating malignancies or preventing infectious diseases. This strategy is based on the capacity of Trojan Ags to deliver exogenous Ags into the intracellular compartments, where processing into MHC-binding peptides takes place. Our previous work demonstrated that Trojan Ags containing a CTL epitope localized to intracellular compartments, where MHC class I-binding peptides were generated in a TAP-independent fashion by the action of various exopeptidases and the endopeptidase furin. In this study, we report that Trojan Ags containing several CTL epitopes joined via furin-sensitive linkers generated all of the corresponding MHC class I-binding peptides, which were recognized by CTL. However, Trojan Ags prepared with furin-resistant linkers failed to produce the MHC class I-binding peptides. We also present data indicating that Trojan Ags bearing both CTL and Th epitopes can generate the corresponding MHC class I- and II-binding peptides, which are capable of stimulating T cell responses. Most significantly, in vivo vaccination of mice with a single injection of multiepitope Trojan Ags resulted in strong CTL and Th responses that translated into significant antitumor responses in a model of malignant melanoma. The overall results indicate that Trojan Ags prepared with furin-sensitive linkers are ideal candidates for producing synthetic multiepitope vaccines for the induction of CTL and Th responses that could be used against a variety of diseases, including cancer.
Slicing the V-Model -- Reduced Effort, Higher Flexibility

Companies requiring a formal software process model tend to choose the V-model. Having its advantages in a strong focus on verification and validation, the main drawbacks of the V-model are the need to create a large amount of documentation, to keep this documentation continuously updated and to manage trace ability of requirements implementation and testing. As it is based on the waterfall process model the timing behavior of the V-model is considered to be stiff. Additional complexity arises whenever teams work together in globally distributed environments. All these aspects reduce the software productivity of the teams when using the V-model. It is known that agile processes solve some of the mentioned problems. However, agile processes are not always accepted in formal environments, e.g., if certification bodies need to approve safety critical developments. This article proposes a new approach, called "sliced V-model", where documents are split into work items and these work items are linked between the documents, forming small and independent "V" shapes. Working with such so-called "V" slices downsizes the efforts for keeping documents updated, simplifies the management of trace ability and increases flexibility. Since the sliced V-model requires the utilization of a web-based repository, it is easy to apply in globally distributed teams. An example of successful implementation in a globally operating industry company is shown.
Propene adsorption on Cu2O single-crystal surfaces

Abstract The interaction of propene with Cu 2 O surfaces was investigated using thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Propene adsorption was studied on clean, deuterium-predosed, and oxygen-predosed Cu 2 O(100) and (111) surfaces. Clear differences in the numbers and temperatures of the desorption states on the (111) and (100) surfaces demonstrate that propene adsorption is structure-sensitive on Cu 2 O. Propene adsorption at low temperature is primarily molecular on both the (100) and (111) surfaces. However, evidence for a small amount of propene dissociation to allyl (C 3 H 5 ) was found for the (111) surface, and is believed to occur at surface oxygen vacancies and defects. CO was the only desorption product besides propene, and was detected after propene adsorption at low temperature on the (111) surface only. A change in the (111) surface structure from a nearly stoichiometric (1 × 1) surface to an oxygen-deficient (√3 × √3) R 30° surface was observed due to the removal of lattice oxygen to form CO. These changes in surface structure were accompanied by changes in the propene desorption spectra, and demonstrated that the highest temperature propene desorption feature is associated with lattice oxygen vacancies. For adsorption at 300 K, evidence for propene dissociation to allyl was found for both the (100) and (111) surface. However, the coverages of adsorbed propene were small, and the sticking coefficient at 300 K was estimated to be less than 10 −5 .
God is not in the Mirror

In response to my paper on possible phylogenetic divergence in the case of theistic percepts, Gallup and Maser argue that an alternative — and more heuristic — approach to studying religious phenomena can be found in neuroanatomical mapping of cognitive functions that seem to play some role in this category of thought. On the one hand, the argument is sound and will probably come to be prescient; cognitive neuroscience should begin to emerge as an increasingly important player in the newly overlapping  elds of cognition and comparative religion. Indeed, initial strides have already been taken in just this area (Shaver & Rabin 1997). But on the other hand, it is somewhat misguided in that it implies that neurological methods are alternative rather than complementary ways to go about seriously studying the cognitive foundations of religion. The representational systems outlined in my article are inherently brain-based, and there is, as Gallup and Maser point out, reason to assume some degree of localization of the general aspects associated with them. Until comparative neuropsychologists are able to discern the seemingly subtle differences in the brains of humans and our closest living relatives, however, we can produce only admittedly speculative hunches as to the unique adaptive functioning of the neuroanatomical regions in question. However, it is worth pointing out that there are considerable morphological differences between humans and chimpanzees in precisely the area of the brain that is presumed responsible for allowing the attribution of mental states. The human prefrontal cortex has expanded substantially over the past 5-8 million years, is signi cantly larger than homologous structures of the African great apes, and occupies more of the cerebral mantle (Povinelli
In vitro stabilization of acv synthetase activity fromStreptomyces clavuligerus

ACV synthetase (ACVS) fromStreptomyces clavuligerus is very labile. The study and in vitro application of this important enzyme for cephamycin biosynthesis requires a relatively stable preparation. The stability of the crude enzyme was substantially increased by dithio-threitol and the cofactor, magnesium (Mg2+). The purified enzyme was also unstable and especially sensitive to moderate to high temperature. Addition of the substrate L-valine (L-val) along with the cofactors (ATP and MG2+) raised the thermal inactivation temperature, and increased the stability of the enzyme at low temperature. Amino acids capable of replacing L-val as ACVS substrate generally stabilized the enzyme. The ACVS level remained high during fermentation in a complex medium containing high concentrations of amino acids, in contrast to the situation in chemically-defined medium.
Proliferation Indices in Spontaneous Canine Lung Cancer: Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA), Ki-67 (MIB1) and Mitotic Counts

Proliferation indices were measured for specimens from 55 spontaneous canine lung tumours, collected by surgical biopsy from clinical patients and archived in paraffin wax blocks. These indices were then related to the mitotic index and histological type of the tumour. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki-67 (MIB1) proteins were detected immunohistochemically with a biotin-streptavidin amplified detection system on a representative tissue section from each tumour. Five adjacent, non-overlapping fields were selected at random, and 200 cells per field were examined in each section. For PCNA, cells were classified subjectively into negative, weak or strong reactivity groups, based on nuclear staining. MIB1 cells were classified as negative or positive, based on nuclear staining. Mitotic figures were counted in anti-PCNA-labelled and anti-MIB1-labelled sections, in the same tumour areas as those in which indices were established. Mitotic counts were also done on haematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue sections. Linear regression analysis showed that all PCNA, MIB1 and mitotic indices had highly significant positive correlations (P<0.0001) with each other. Adenosquamous and squamous cell carcinomas differed from other histological tumour types in having significantly higher proliferation indices. These data suggest that growth rates for lung tumours in the dog vary according to histological type. On the basis of differences in proliferation indices and the distribution of immunoreactivity between histological subtypes in this study, it would seem that immunohistochemical detection of PCNA and MIB/1 reactivity and analysis of mitotic figures in routinely processed tissues may be useful in the diagnosis of lung tumours. 1999 W.B. Saunders and Company Ltd.
The Making of "Mammy Pleasant": A Black Entrepreneur in Nineteenth-Century San Francisco

Mary Ellen Pleasant arrived in Gold Rush-era San Francisco as a free black woman with abolitionist convictions and a predilection for entrepreneurial success. Behind the convenient and trusted disguise of 'Mammy', she transformed domestic labor into enterprise, amassed remarkable real estate, wealth, and power, and gained notoriety for her work in fighting Jim Crow. Pleasant's legacy is steeped in scandals and lore. Was she a voodoo queen who traded in sexual secrets? A madam? A murderer?In "The Making of Mammy Pleasant", Lynn M. Hudson examines the folklore of Pleasant's real and imagined powers. Emphasizing the significance of her life in the context of how it has been interpreted or ignored in the larger trends of American history, Hudson integrates fact and speculation culled from periodicals, court cases, diaries, letters, Pleasant's interviews with the San Francisco press, and various biographical and fictional accounts. Addressing the lack of a historical record of black women's lives, the author argues that the silences and mysteries of Pleasant's past, whether never recorded or intentionally omitted, reveal as much about her life as what has been documented. Through Pleasant's life, Hudson also interrogates the constructions of race, gender, and sexuality during the formative years of California's economy and challenges popular mythology about the liberatory sexual culture of the American West.
Case of Justified Therapeutic Placebo Use

Placebos are substances or interventions that have no known intrinsic value in treating the condition for which they are given (Beauchamp & Childress, 1994). In research, the placebo effect is a well-described nuisance variable that researchers attempt to control through research design. In therapeutic management, particularly in nursing, placebo use is almost universally condemned as a deceptive practice (Bandman & Bandman, 1995; Fox, 1994).
Mapping of nascent light and heavy strand transcripts on the physical map of HeLa cell mitochondrial DNA

The sequences complementary to the nascent RNA molecules isolated from transcription complexes of HeLa cell mtDNA have been mapped on the H and L strands of mtDNA by the S1 protection technique. The distribution of these sequences among different Hpa II restriction fragments was found to reflect the position of these fragments in the Hpa II map of mtDNA. Thus, the S1-resistant hybrids formed with the L strand corresponded almost exclusively to the right half of the genome past the origin of replication in the direction of L strand transcription, and were especially concentrated in the region immediately adjacent to the origin. By contrast, the hybrid duplexes involving the H strand appeared to be localized in the left half of the genome, and in particular in the quadrant of the map adjacent to the origin in the direction of H strand transcription. These results strongly suggest that the region of mtDNA around the origin of replication contains an initiation site for L strand transcription and an initiation site for H strand transcription.
Analysis of Radio Frequency Interference Detection Algorithms in the Angular Domain for SMOS

Radio frequency interference (RFI) detection techniques have different challenges and opportunities for interferometric radiometers such as the Microwave Imaging Radiometer using Aperture Synthesis on the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. SMOS does not have highly oversampled temporal resolution or subband filters for oversampled spectral resolution, as do other radiometers with enhanced RFI detection capabilities. It does, however, have multisampled angular resolution in the sense that a single location is viewed from many different angles of incidence. This paper compares and contrasts RFI detection algorithms that use measurements made at a variety of different levels of SMOS signal processing, including the visibility domain, brightness temperature spatial domain, and brightness temperature angular domain. The angular domain detection algorithm, in particular, is developed and characterized in detail. Examples of the algorithms applied to cases with RFI (to assess detection skill) and without RFI (to assess false-alarm behavior) are considered.
Evaluation of percutaneous transhepatic balloon dilatation of benign biliary strictures in high-risk patients

During the period from 1979 through 1984, 17 patients with benign biliary strictures underwent percutaneous transhepatic balloon dilatation. All patients presented with either hyperbilirubinemia and acute cholangitis, a history of intermittent chills and fever, or both. Balloon dilatation was most successful in those patients with intrahepatic strictures, sclerosing cholangitis, strictured biliary enteric anastomoses, and distal common bile duct strictures with retained calculi. Two patients with postsurgical common bile duct injury had treatment failure 3 and 18 months after dilatation and subsequently underwent elective hepaticojejunostomy. Although our longest treatment success is now more than 4 1/2 years in an 83 year old woman who is 15 years posthepaticojejunostomy, the mean follow-up of the entire group has only been 2 years. On the basis of our early experience and that of others, we now recommend an initial attempt at balloon dilatation in most patients with postsurgical benign biliary strictures. Further technical advances and longer follow-up in present and future series may certainly broaden the appeal of this nonoperative procedure.
Operational Analysis of the Diffraction Grating

Operational analysis is used to express the formula for the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern for a grating of N slits in terms of that for a single slit.
Consequences of the local spin self-energy approximation on the heavy-fermion quantum phase transition

We show, using the periodic Anderson model, that the local spin self-energy approximation, as implemented in the extended dynamical mean field theory (EDMFT), results in a first-order phase transition that persists to $T=0$. Around the transition, there is a finite coexistence region of the paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic (AFM) phases. The region is bounded by two critical transition lines that differ by an electron-hole bubble at the AFM ordering wave vector.
Statistical Segmentation Of Digital Images

Statistically based models of digital images are used to locate and segment objects of interest from background scenes. Three models are presented and evaluated. These models are based on a Bayesian cost function, a Neyman-Pearson constant false alarm rate function, and a maximum entropy function. Detailed algorithms are presented for separating object regions from background clutter using each of these statistical methods.
Impact Quantification of Wide-Base Tire Loading on Secondary Road Flexible Pavements

There is a need to evaluate the damage caused by the new generation of wide-base tires on low-volume secondary roads because of their increased use on trucks. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) finite-element (FE) model was built to simulate the realistic tire loading on secondary road pavements. The model allows for predicting pavement responses to loading applied by various tire configurations. In addition, the model incorporates the measured 3D tire-pavement contact stresses, models hot-mix asphalt (HMA) as linear viscoelastic material, simulates continuous moving load, and utilizes implicit dynamic analysis. The analyzed pavement structures comprised a 76-mm HMA layer and an aggregate base layer with various thicknesses (203, 305, and 457 mm). The impact of a wide-base tire on secondary road pavement damage was analyzed using available damage models and was compared to that resulting from conventional dual-tire assemblies. It was found that the new wide-base tire (455/55R22.5) caused greater fati...
Intermediate case radiationless decay: the excited state dynamics of pyrazine

Abstract This paper reports new measurements of the non-exponential fluorescence decay of pyrazine, covering the time range 0.1-200 ns. The restits of our measurements remove the inconsistencies between experiment and the Frad-Lahmani-Tramer-Tric model of the radiationless decay in this molecule. In particular, our data show that the triplet component of the mixed singlet-triplet levels does increase with increasing triplet density of states. The effective density of triplet levels determined from our experimental data exceeds the theoretical density of vibrational levels. We propose that at the excitation levels achieved in the triplet manifold there is extensive scrambling of rotational states, but that conservation of nuclear spin states permits a level with total angular momentum quantum number f to couple to only (2J + 1/4) of the 2J+1 rotational levels built on one vibration. The appropriate theoretical density of states to be compared with experiment is then obtained by multiplying the vibrational density of states by J2. Good agreement is found between experimentally determined and calculated densities of states.
Closing the Gap Between Anthropology and Public Policy: The Route Through Cultural Heritage Development

Anthropologists are returning to the field of public policy making. Recent work has focused attention on problems and "disorders" in the nonwestern world that could benefit from intervention by development anthropologists as both proponents and designers of appropriate strategies. Foreign aid resources available to multilateral lenders have been shrinking as the magnitude of the problems multiply. At the same time, the commitment of the World Bank to macroeconomic ("top down") strategies had minimized dialog with anthropologists, whose research continues to take place at ground level and whose recommendations feature "bottom up" perspectives on change. Across the last decade, both Bank staffers and anthropologists have converged on the importance of cultural factors in development planning, the need for "inclusion" of presumptive beneficiaries in project design, and the testing of "participatory policy making" as a postmodern alternative to hegemony and hierarchy. In the economy of global capitalism, inve...
Solar neutrinos and the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein theory.

The observation of solar neutrinos by Kamiokande shows that the solar-neutrino problem cannot be solved by changing the solar model. In combination with the observations with a chlorine detector, it makes the nonadiabatic form of the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein theory most likely, and determines {Delta}{ital m}{sup 2}sin{sup 2}{theta}=1.0{times}10{sup {minus}8} eV{sup 2}. Probably all neutrinos go through the resonance in the Sun, those from {sup 8}B nonadiabatically, all others adiabatically. The latter emerge from the Sun in the higher-mass eigenstate {nu}{sub 2} and have a probability sin{sup 2}{theta} to be detected as {nu}{sub {ital e}}. The gallium experiments, when done with sufficient accuracy, will be able to determine {Delta}{ital m}{sup 2}={ital m}{sup 2}({nu}{sub {mu}}){minus}{ital m}{sup 2}({nu}{sub {ital e}}) within fairly close limits. If the day-night effect can be measured, it will further constrain these limits. The small value of {Delta}{ital m}{sup 2}sin{sup 2}{theta} explains why the oscillation from {nu}{sub {ital e}} to {nu}{sub {mu}} has not been observed in the laboratory. From existing experiments, the temperature at the center of the Sun can be determined to be within about 6% of that derived from the standard solar model; future neutrino experiments may determine it to within 1%.
MRI of infarction of a cavernous sinus tumor in Nelson's syndrome

We report the MRI appearances of an infarcted cavernous sinus tumor in a patient with Nelson's syndrome. Invasive tumors of the pituitary extending to the cavernous sinus are discussed and the role of MRI in preoperative investigation is highlighted.
Allergy as a cause of glaucoma.

Abstract A case of simple, recurrent, congestive glaucoma is discussed. The patient was relieved of both glaucoma and gastrointestinal symptoms by the control of various food allergies.
Omniscience and worthiness of worship

At first glance, the properties being omniscient and being worthy of worship might appear to be perfectly co-instantiable. (To say that some properties are co-instantiable is just to say that it is possible that some object instantiate all of them simultaneously. Being entirely red and being a ball are co-instantiable; being entirely red and being entirely blue are not). But there are reasons to be worried about this co-instantiability, as it turns out that, depending on our commitments with respect to certain kinds of knowledge and notions of personhood, it might be the case that no being—God included—could instantiate both. In this paper, I lay out and motivate this claim before going on to consider a variety of responses—some more plausible than others—that may be offered by the theist.
Dynamic effects of member failure on response of truss-type space structures

Besides the usual causes of structural failure such as material defects and fabrication and construction errors, damage to space structures can come from such adverse events as impact by foreign objects, docking, drastic temperature changes, and exposure to radiation and charged particles. This paper presents a methodology to determine effects of member failure on the dynamic response of a truss-type space structure. Emphasis has been given to effects of the dynamic nature of member failure on the structural response. Two types of member failure are considered: one, the sudden brittle-type damage or failure of a member, and the other, member snap or dynamic jump due to buckling. The study is specially directed toward potential progressive member failure in the structure. It includes the postbuckling regime of member behavior. A three-dimensional truss-type structure is analyzed. Results are presented to delineate dynamic effects of member failure on the overall structural response measured in terms of deformations and stresses.
Computational Study of the Gas Phase Reactions of Isopropylimido and Allylimido Tungsten Precursors for Chemical Vapor Deposition of Tungsten Carbonitride Films: Implications for the Choice of Carrier Gas

Computational chemistry was employed to investigate possible gas phase decomposition pathways of the precursors Cl4(CH3CN)W═NR (2: R = iPr; 3: R = C3H5) for MOCVD of tungsten carbonitride (WNxCy) t...
Population aging and the economic role of the elderly: Bonanza or burden?

As societies industrialize, the age profile of consumption tilts strongly toward the elderly, while elder labor supply drops. Low fertility and long life lead to population aging. For millennia, material resources have, on net, flowed downward from older to younger within populations, but now in many rich societies net flows have reversed and go upwards from young to old.
US Domestic Politics and International Cooperation, 1953–1998

Following previous scholarship on domestic sources of foreign policy, this study investigates the extent to which economic performance, political constraints, and other factors influence US international cooperation from 1953 through 1998. Using data on US international treaties and executive agreements, we estimate a set of event count models. We find that the US enters into more international treaties and executive agreements with increased inflation. There are fewer new international treaties and executive agreements under divided government and during a president's first year in office. Furthermore, there are fewer new international executive agreements during war involvement. Finally, the US substitutes international treaties and executive agreements for one another, and there are rising trends over time in the numbers of US international treaties and executive agreements.
“Falling back” on natural law and prudence: A reply to souryal and potts

The following essay seeks to provide some of the details to which Souryal and Potts refer in their article in the spring 1993 issue of the Journal of Criminal Justice Education. In their desire to combat what they perceive to be a state of cultural illiteracy in the field of criminal justice ethics, Souryal and Potts recommend a revision of criminal justice curricula to include courses on the history of Western political philosophy. In the past masters of political philosophy, they hope to find an effective “fallback” position on questions of moral judgment and discretion. In the following essay I locate that position in the traditional Western theories of natural law and prudence.
The Peptide Specificity of the Endogenous T Follicular Helper Cell Repertoire Generated after Protein Immunization

T follicular helper (Tfh) cells potentiate high-affinity, class-switched antibody responses, the predominant correlate of protection from vaccines. Despite intense interest in understanding both the generation and effector functions of this lineage, little is known about the epitope specificity of Tfh cells generated during polyclonal responses. To date, studies of peptide-specific Tfh cells have relied on either the transfer of TcR transgenic cells or use of peptide:MHC class II tetramers and antibodies to stain TcR and follow limited peptide specificities. In order to comprehensively evaluate polyclonal responses generated from the natural endogenous TcR repertoire, we developed a sorting strategy to separate Tfh cells from non-Tfh cells and found that their epitope-specific responses could be tracked with cytokine-specific ELISPOT assays. The immunodominance hierarchies of Tfh and non-Tfh cells generated in response to immunization with several unrelated protein antigens were remarkably similar. Additionally, increasing the kinetic stability of peptide-MHC class II complexes enhanced the priming of both Tfh and conventional CD4 T cells. These findings may provide us with a strategy to rationally and selectively modulate epitope-specific Tfh responses. By understanding the parameters that control epitope-specific priming, vaccines may be tailored to enhance or focus Tfh responses to facilitate optimal B cell responses.
Intrathecal baclofen for generalized dystonia

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of intrathecal bacolfen (ITB) on patients with severe generalized dystonia. Eighty-six participants ranging in age from 3 to 42 years (median age 13 years) with generalized dystonia refractory to oral medications were offered treatment with ITB. Dystonia was associated with cerebral palsy in 71% of participants. Response to ITB was tested by continuous infusions in 72%, and by bolus injections in 17% of participants who had both dystonia and spasticity. Ninety-one percent of participants responded to the screening infusion and 93% to the bolus injections. Pumps were implanted in 77 participants. Dystonia scores at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months were significantly decreased (p<0.005) compared with baseline scores. Dystonia scores were significantly lower in those with intrathecal catheters positioned at T4, or higher than in those with catheters at T6 or lower (p=0.005). Ninety-two percent of participants implanted with a pump retained their responses to ITB during a median follow-up of 29 months. Patient questionnaires indicated that quality of life and ease of care improved in 86% and speech improved in 33%. Side effects of ITB occurred in 26% of participants. Surgical complications occurred in 38% and included CSF leaks, infections, and catheter problems. ITB is probably the treatment of choice for generalized dystonia if oral medications are ineffective.
An Anovulatory Bilateral Hermaphroditic Rat

ANY discussion of mechanisms in mammalian sex differentiation must consider two classes of chemical mediators: embryonic inductors and androgenic steroid hormones. The inductors, the chemical nature of which is unknown, play a vital part in differentiating the gonad and probably the secondary sex ducts1, while the steroids are credited with influencing behaviour and brain–pituitary functions2. However, the definitive experiment obligating androgen as the organizer of the male type brain–pituitary axis has not been carried out. This communication describes a bilateral hermaphrodite occurring in Nature, which casts doubt on the indispensability of androgen for determining a male type of hypophysial-hypothalamic axis.
Courtship and mating in free-living spotted hyenas

Summary Female spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are larger and more aggressive than males, and their genitalia are heavily ‘masculinized’. These odd traits in females pose unusual challenges for males during courtship and copulation. Here our goals were to describe and quantify the behavior patterns involved in courtship and copulation in Crocuta, and determine whether rates of affiliative behavior directed toward females by males vary with female age, social rank, or time to conception. We also inquired whether consort formation with a particular female was necessary for a male to sire that female’s cubs. Behavioral observations and paternity data based on 12 microsatellite loci were collected over 11 years from free-ranging hyenas in Kenya. Several of the courtship displays exhibited by male hyenas differed from those found in other carnivores, and appeared to reflect intense motivational conflict between tendencies to approach and flee from females. Most male advances were either ignored by females or elicited aggression from females toward males. Rates of male affiliative behavior toward females peaked around the time of conception. Although males behaved similarly toward young and old females in the highest social rank category, males directed more affiliative behavior toward older than younger females that were mid- and low-ranking. Multiple short mounts usually preceded a long mount, but intromission and ejaculation appeared to occur only during long mounts. Female receptivity was indicated by inhibited aggression toward the male and assumption of a distinctive receptive stance. The only behavior indicative of female proceptivity was following of the male by the female in mating contexts. Some males who sired cubs formed consortships with females whereas others did not, suggesting that individual male hyenas may adopt alternative reproductive tactics to attract and acquire mates. Our results also suggest that low fertility may be an important cost of female virilization in this species.
Growth dynamics in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

The growth dynamics of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) were studied in the subtropical Florida Everglades using extensive mark-recapture data from over 2000 recaptures of known-aged and unknown-aged animals. A model based on the power curve best describes growth of Everglades alligators. The nonasymptotic character of this curve leads to rejection of the hypothesis that alligator growth is determinate. A model consisting of piece-wise linear equations better described growth in the first year, and suggested a period of arrested growth occurred in the first winter. A comparison of predictions from growth models derived from several populations indicated that Everglades alligators grew more slowly than did those in more temperate areas, leading to the rejection of the hypothesis that growth rates in subtropical Florida would be elevated because of the long growing season. We attribute this result to a combination of increased maintenance costs and a limited resource base in the Everglades. Analyses considered the extent to which growth model evaluation and use can be affected by data selection. Mathematical constraints posed by negative growth data can be alleviated by including growth records over combined recapture intervals to achieve a positive growth increment. However, periods of no to negative growth may be real, and such deviations are obscured by fitting growth data to monotonically increasing models.
Contrasting the views of substance misuse and mental health treatment providers on treating the dually diagnosed.

Service delivery to dually diagnosed individuals is often impeded by the divergent treatment approaches used by mental health and substance misuse treatment providers. This paper describes findings from a survey of mental health and substance misuse treatment program administrators and staff in Los Angeles County (n=275) on their views about treating the dually diagnosed. All groups agreed about the challenges of treating dually diagnosed patients; however, there were differences both between and within providers in the two treatment systems on other aspects of treatment. The findings are discussed within the context of clinical and programmatic efforts to improve service delivery to the dually diagnosed.
The kinetics of D2 desorption from Ni(110) (2 × 1)C in the presence of reactive intermediates

Abstract A kinetic study of D 2 formation from HCOOD decomposition on Ni(110) (2 × 1)C was performed using the flash desorption technique. The surface structure and surface composition were monitored by low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Flash curves were obtained using initial coverage and heating rate variations. D 2 formation exhibited a single second-order rate-determining step. Three different techniques were employed in obtaining the activation energy, two of which did not require the assumption of reaction order. Using an average value of 12.6 kcal/mole for the activation energy the pre-exponential factor was calculated to be 2.7 × 10 −4 cm 2 molecules −1 sec −1 . Good agreement was achieved with the theoretically generated second-order flash curves only up to the peak temperature. The discrepancy on the high temperature side was explained using the model proposed by Clavenna and Schmidt utilizing a coverage dependent pre-exponential factor.
High yield of same-session EUS-guided liver biopsy by 19-gauge FNA needle in patients undergoing EUS to exclude biliary obstruction.

Background EUS-guided liver biopsy by Trucut yields variable specimen adequacy at high cost, limiting its utility. A modified EUS-guided technique with reliable adequacy could be a viable alternative to standard techniques in cost-effective clinical settings. Objective To describe our experience with EUS-guided liver biopsy by 19-gauge FNA, non-Trucut, needle in a cost-effective setting: patients with abnormal liver test results of unclear etiology referred for EUS to exclude biliary obstruction in whom an unrevealing EUS would have prompted a next-step liver biopsy by the referring physician. Design Prospective case series. Setting Tertiary-care teaching hospital. Patients Consecutive patients with abnormal liver tests referred for EUS. Interventions EUS-guided liver biopsy by 19-gauge FNA needle (non-Trucut). Main Outcome Measurements Diagnostic yield, specimen adequacy, and complications. An adequate specimen was defined as a length of 15 mm or longer and 6 or more complete portal tracts (CPTs). Results Between July 2008 and July 2011, 22 of 31 consecutive patients meeting inclusion criteria underwent unrevealing EUS with same-session EUS-guided liver biopsy by 19-gauge FNA needle. A median of 2 FNA passes (range 1-3) yielded a median specimen length of 36.9 mm (range 2-184.6 mm) with a median of 9 CPTs (range 1-73 CPTs). EUS-guided liver biopsies yielded a histologic diagnosis and adequate specimens in 20 of 22 patients (91%). Expanded experience led to improved specimen adequacy. There were no complications. Limitation Small study size. Conclusions EUS-guided liver biopsy by using a 19-gauge FNA needle appears to be feasible and safe and provides excellent diagnostic yield and specimen adequacy.
Exposure to violence at home: A qualitative exploration of experiences and perceptions of black adolescents in South Africa

Abstract Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with black adolescent males and females in a South African township to explore their experiences and perceptions of domestic violence in their homes of origin and in their intimate relationships. Trauma theory and social learning theory were used to explore the influence of exposure to violence at home on violent behavior in subsequent relationships. Findings indicate that observational learning contributes to post-traumatic stress and dating violence among adolescents in South Africa. Some of the predictions of the intergenerational transmission of violence were also supported by the respondents’ experiences and perceptions of violence within their own relationships. There was evidence of socialized gendered notions of male power and control, where violence is used to affirm masculinity.
The Coseismic Displacement Fields for the 1992 Landers and 1999 Hector Mine Earthquakes in California, from Regional GPS Observations

The fortuitous occurrences of the 1992 Landers and the 1999 Hector Mine earthquakes within a regional GPS network established during 1991 in the Mojave Desert allows assessment of earthquake-related deformation for both events. Annual and earthquake-response campaign-mode GPS observations record active deformation in the Mojave Desert over the past decade. We present new displacement fields for both the Landers earthquake and the Hector Mine earthquake, using corrections for well-established 1993 to 1999 velocities to provide robust estimates of coseismic displacement. Each displacement field is compared to a forward elastic dislocation model for the earthquake that integrates geologically and seismologically determined offsets along the Landers rupture and is then used to geodetically constrain an inversion for elastic dislocation. The geodetic data sets provide better resolution of moment magnitude for a given fault plane, and systematically underestimate seismologically determined M w by 0.06 to 0.07. In addition, during the 1992 to 1999 time interval, the post-Landers earthquake velocities at stations within 40 km its surface rupture provide direct observations that support kinematic loading of the Hector Mine rupture plane. This observation substantiates predictions from recent viscoelastic models.
An energetics-based approach to understanding the menstrual cycle and menopause

To explain the menstrual cycle and menopause, human biologists during the past several decades have developed new models of the evolutionary origins and maintenance of female reproductive patterns that address both ultimate and proximate causation. Hypotheses proposed for these processes generally offer explanations for menstruation or for menopause, but not for both; ultimately, these explanations must be integrated. Reviewing current explanations, this paper offers an energetics-based evolutionary rationale compatible with past adaptations of Homo sapiens and with ecological patterns in small-scale, preindustrial social systems in which food resources vary and sometimes are scarce.
Restriction-fragment map of the temperate Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage SP02

Abstract The endonucleases Bgl I, Bgl II, Eco RI, Sal I, Sma I, and Xba I were used to fragment the phage SP02 DNA. Electrophoretic analysis using ethidiumbromide agarose gels showed the phage to have nine Bgl I sites, one Bgl II site, four Eco RI sites, one Sal I site, one Sma I site, and six Xba I sites. Using partial digestions, multiple endonuclease digestion, and autoradiography the fragments were sized and ordered into a circular map of 23 Md. Such an analysis locates the endonuclease sites, indicates which endonucleases are potentially useful in cloning with SP02, and allows insertions and/or deletions in the SP02 DNA to be characterized.
S WAVE PION NUCLEUS DYNAMICS IN THE SIGMA OMEGA MODEL

The $\ensuremath{\sigma}+\ensuremath{\omega}$ model of nuclear forces has many desirable properties, including approximate chiral symmetry (partial conservation of axial vector current) and renormalizability, and it gives a good account of nuclear structure. It is therefore a useful framework within which to explore the modification of pion-nucleon dynamics in a nuclear medium, a problem which resists the usual soft-pion current-algebra cum analyticity techniques owing to the presence of anomalous thresholds (nuclear structure effects). It is found that through order ${G}^{4}$ (for pion elastic scattering) and ${G}^{3}$ (for pion absorption or emission) the chiral invariance ensures sufficient cancellations between otherwise large terms so as to produce little renormalization of free-particle dynamics. Moreover, the pseudoscalar-coupled $\ensuremath{\sigma}+\ensuremath{\omega}$ model is equivalent in pion emission or absorption, through $O({G}^{3})$, to a pseudovector-coupled phenomenological model (with no $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\sigma}$ interaction, but with a form of partially conserved axial vector current). Thus, the question of whether one can distinguish experimentally between pseudoscalar and pseudovector $\ensuremath{\pi}\mathrm{NN}$ coupling is probably meaningless.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $A(\ensuremath{\pi},\ensuremath{\pi})A$, $A(p,\ensuremath{\pi})B$, $A(\ensuremath{\pi},NN)C$. ${E}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}l50$ MeV. Wick-formalism treatment of field-theoretic $\ensuremath{\sigma}$-model Lagrangian with $\ensuremath{\omega}N$ coupling. Consequences of broken chiral symmetry for finite-mass pions in nuclei. Nonlinear effects.
Commissioning of a first-order matched transition jump at the Brookhaven Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider

When accelerating gold ions in the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) the transition energy must be crossed. For this purpose, RHIC uses a set of correction quadrupoles and special power supplies which can reverse polarity in less than 40 ms. These quadrupoles are used to produce dispersion bumps which increase the transition energy as the beam approaches transition. The change of polarity will then jump the transition energy across the beam energy. This paper describes the commissioning of the RHIC first-order matched transition crossing system.
Natural cultural sites of Kenya: changing contexts, changing meanings

Abstract Kenya is the home of over 40 ethnic groups of different cultural backgrounds. In pre-colonial times each of these groups had its own belief system, incorporating natural sites to which they ascribed cultural significance. Many of these “natural sacred sites” have been destroyed or severely degraded over the last century, while others survive and continue to be preserved. Over time, the meanings of such sites have changed, as has their management and control, especially since the political changes in Kenya of the early 1990s and with the increasing strength of the global environmental movement over the same period. This paper traces the history and recent development in four clusters of natural sites of cultural significance: the kaya forests of the Kenya coast; Mount Kenya and related sites of the central Kenya highlands; cultural sites in the Lake Victoria basin, including Ramogi Hill and Kit Mikayi; and highland sites in northern Kenya occupied primarily by pastoral nomads, including Mount Nyir...
The Question of Diminution of Income for Justices and Judges of the Supreme Court and the Inferior Courts of the United States

Selected from a small committee to compose a first draft of a declaration of independence of the American colonies from Great Britain, Thomas Jefferson set pen to paper and began what would be a litany of offenses committed by the Crown against the people of the soon-to-be United States of America. Included in that world-changing document was a passage dealing with the colonial judiciary and its past subjugation to the wishes of George III:
The circadian rhythm of body temperature of normal and tau-mutant golden hamsters

Abstract 1. 1. Intra-abdominal temperature of 13 normal and 13 tau-mutant golden hamsters maintained in constant light at 22°C was recorded by telemetry. Data for 10 das of continuous recording were analysed for the four parameters of the circadian rhythm of body temperature (CRT): period, amplitude, mean level and shape. 2. 2. The mean period of the CRT was significantly shorter in tau mutant hamsters (20.2 h) as compared to normal hamsters (24.0 h). No significant difference between the two groups was found in the other three parameters. 3. 3. It is concluded that the tau mutation has a specific effect on the period of the CRT without affecting the other parameters of the rhythm.
Generators Bidding Behavior in the NYISO Day-Ahead Wholesale Electricity Market

Statistical and econometric modeling is used to analyze the dynamics of generators' bidding behavior and resulting market prices in the NYISO day-ahead market during the summer of 2001 at three levels. First, at the generator level, generators' offered capacity is modeled by a two-stage sample selection process. The grouping choices of generators are estimated in the first stage. In the second stage, generators' offered capacity is estimated conditional on their grouping choices. Second, at the group level, we estimate the offer curves of each group. Third, at the total supply level, the aggregate supply curve is simulated by aggregating the offer curves of bidding groups. The estimated market prices based on the simulated supply curve can replicate most volatility of actual market prices. We find that demand conditions affect generators' bidding behavior and thus market prices significantly by applying our model under different demand assumptions