cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Integrated MERLA (Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning, and Adapting) Framework for Evidence-Based Program Improvement:

Monitoring, evaluation, and research activities generate important data, but they often fail to change policies or programs. In addition, local program staff and partners often feel disconnected fr...
Reflections in Response to the Nevada Judicial Evaluation Pilot Project

Our colleagues at the University of Nevada Reno, the authors of the Nevada Judicial Evaluation Pilot Project: Final Report (NJEPP Report) and the Nevada Judicial Evaluation Project: Supplement to the Final Report (NJEP Supplement), have done an admirable job of setting up a framework for a workable program. They succeed in identifying key components for a successful judicial performance evaluation (JPE) program for Nevada. In the spirit of collaboration, and because of our good faith interest in making sure that Nevada’s JPE system is as fair as it can possibly be, we wish to supplement the NJEPP Report’s findings with some additional reflections on creating a system that meets the Commission’s goals.Our key observations are as follows: 1) there is a potential for bias in any judicial evaluation program. Steps must be taken to mitigate this possibility, 2) the survey respondent groups must be carefully identified, and instruments must be sensitive to the strengths and weaknesses of the assessments from each group, 3) because response bias is likely to lead to unreliable results, steps must be taken to boost the response rates of the various respondent groups, 4) care must be taken when aggregating the survey data, as implicit value judgments are made whenever averages are computed, 5) the process of creating, implementing, interpreting and utilizing judicial evaluation data will require many different groups of actors. The roles of these groups must be clearly delineated, 6) the use of state-sponsored JPEs in contested judicial elections is unprecedented. The use of such a program in this context raises critical issues of fairness and threatens the integrity of the electoral process, 7) female and minority judges are the most likely to be evaluated harshly, even when the JPE system is well designed, because of unconscious biases. In the interest of fairness, questions that are the most likely to bring into the evaluation process unconscious biases should be either eliminated or weighed less, and 8) The Commission should consider creating a system whereby each piece of information is weighted systematically and a priori. Putting more weight on objective measures (e.g., ethical complaints filed against a judge, record of whether a judge has been overturned by a superior court, and number of cases handled) may help to alleviate some of the potential for bias and unfairness.
What Is Systems Science

An inevitable prerequisite for this book, as implied by its title, is a presupposition that systems science is a legitimate field of scientific inquiry. It is self-evident that I, as the author of this book, consider this presupposition valid. Otherwise, clearly, I would not conceive of writing the book in the first place.
Abstract 2933: Assessment of ABT-263 activity across a comprehensive cancer cell line collection leads to a novel, potent combination therapy for small cell lung cancer

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA BH3 mimetics like ABT-263 induce apoptosis in subsets of cancer. However, they have shown limited clinical efficacy as single agents, and rational combination strategies remain underexplored. Toward the development of a novel combined therapy, we examined efficacy of ABT-263 across 331 cancer cell lines. Cell lines with high expression levels of the pro-apoptotic gene BIM were more sensitive to ABT-263 activity. This was particularly evident in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which tends to have higher BIM levels and is among the most sensitive to ABT-263. However, MCL-1 expression mitigated the impact of ABT-263-induced apoptosis by sequestering BIM released from BCL-2 and BCL-XL. Since MCL-1 expression is dependent on TORC1 activity in some cancers, we attempted to overcome the apoptotic block in SCLC by combining ABT-263 with the TORC1/2 inhibitor AZD8055. AZD8055 treatment alone downregulated MCL-1 expression; combination AZD8055 and ABT-263 induced marked apoptosis and growth arrest in vitro, as well as tumor regressions in multiple SCLC xenograft models. Strikingly, low-dose AZD8055 was sufficient to promote tumor regressions in the combination strategy. Therefore, addition of a TORC1/2 inhibitor offers a therapeutic strategy to markedly improve single-agent ABT-263 activity in SCLC. Citation Format: Anthony C. Faber, Carlotta Costa, Anahita Dastur, Cyril Benes, Jeffrey Engelman. Assessment of ABT-263 activity across a comprehensive cancer cell line collection leads to a novel, potent combination therapy for small cell lung cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2933. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2933
On a Conjecture of Erdős, Gallai, and Tuza

Erdi¾?s, Gallai, and Tuza posed the following problem: given an n-vertex graph G, let i¾?1G denote the smallest size of a set of edges whose deletion makes G triangle-free, and let α1G denote the largest size of a set of edges containing at most one edge from each triangle of G. Is it always the case that α1G+i¾?1Gi¾?n2/4? We have two main results. We first obtain the upper bound α1G+i¾?1Gi¾?5n2/16, as a partial result toward the Erdi¾?s-Gallai-Tuza conjecture. We also show that always α1Gi¾?n2/2-m, where m is the number of edges in G; this bound is sharp in several notable cases.
Psychotherapy for Autism

There are at least two arguments that suggest caution in applying dynamic psychotherapy based on psychoanalytic principles in ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders). First, ASD is too broad a designation leading to uncertainty as to the cognitive status of a child so designated. Moreover, if a treatment is effective the dilution of the group makes its generalized application uncertain. Second, if autism is a disturbance of Affective Contact and communication the use of constructs employing play and reflective function are not easily applicable to the ASD group.
Encoding CNFs to empower component analysis

Recent algorithms for model counting and compilation work by decomposing a CNF into syntactically independent components through variable splitting, and then solving the components recursively and independently. In this paper, we observe that syntactic component analysis can miss decomposition opportunities because the syntax may hide existing semantic independence, leading to unnecessary variable splitting. Moreover, we show that by applying a limited resolution strategy to the CNF prior to inference, one can transform the CNF to syntactically reveal such semantic independence. We describe a general resolution strategy for this purpose, and a more specific one that utilizes problem–specific structure. We apply our proposed techniques to CNF encodings of Bayesian networks, which can be used to answer probabilistic queries through weighted model counting and/or knowledge compilation. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed techniques can have a large effect on the efficiency of inference, reducing time and space requirements significantly, and allowing inference to be performed on many CNFs that exhausted resources previously.
The binding of a ciliary microtubule plus-end binding protein complex to microtubules is regulated by ciliary protein kinase and phosphatase activities.

Using a human autoimmune CREST antiserum, we identified a 97-kDa polypeptide at the plus ends of Tetrahymena ciliary microtubules and an antigen associated with mammalian kinetochores (Miller, J.M., Wang, W., Balczon, R., and Dentler, W.L. (1990) J. Cell. Biol. 110, 703-714). The ciliary protein is part of a 1,500-2,000-kDa complex that can be released from ciliary microtubules and from in vitro assembled brain microtubules with ATP and ATP gamma S (Wang, W., Suprenant, K.A., and Dentler, W. L. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 24796-24807). Here we show that the ATP-dependent release of the 97-kDa protein from microtubules is inhibited, in a concentration-dependent manner, by calf intestine phosphatase and by the protein kinase inhibitor 6-dimethylaminopurine. Sodium orthovanadate, a phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, stimulated the ATP-dependent release of the 97-kDa protein from microtubules. Therefore, the ciliary fraction contains both protein kinase and phosphatase activities, and selective inhibition of these activities is necessary for the ATP-dependent binding and release of the 97-kDa protein from microtubules. When incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP, a portion of the 97-kDa protein is phosphorylated as are several other polypeptides associated with it. ATP sensitivity requires a low molecular weight heat-stable factor associated with axonemes. These results suggest that the association of the 97-kDa protein with microtubules is regulated by protein phosphorylation by axoneme-associated kinases and phosphatases.
Considerations for generating up to 10 Mbar magnetic drive pressures with the refurbished Z-machine (ZR)

The intense magnetic field generated in the 20 MA Z-machine is used to accelerate flyer plates to high velocity for EOS experiments. A peak magnetic drive pressure on the order of 2 Mbar can be generated, which accelerates an approximately 0.2 g aluminum (Al) disc to 21 km/s. In a planned refurbishment of Z, called ZR, it is expected that up to 26 MA will be delivered to certain loads (e.g., dynamic hohlraums). We have used magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to predict the peak magnetic drive pressure (and flyer velocity) that can be generated in a shock physics load on ZR. MHD simulations show that motion of the electrodes during the rise to peak current significantly increases the load inductance, which limits the peak current to values less than the expected maximum. This reduces the peak drive pressure to a value below what would be estimated using the expected peak current in a static geometry. However, MHD simulations also show that starting with a load geometry that maximizes magnetic flux on one wall of the anode, it is possible to reduce dynamic geometry effects by tapering the rise of the voltage pulse in combination with using a stiff material for the cathode. Simulations predict that peak magnetic pressures of 6 Mbar in Al, and 10 Mbar in tungsten are possible on ZR. In addition, it is predicted that flyer velocities of 40 km/s and larger can be achieved.
Introduction and Overview of Clinical Computing Systems within a Medical Center

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the design, operations, governance, regulation, staffing, and other practical aspects essential to successfully operating clinical computing systems within a health-care organization. Clinical computing systems are defined as computing systems used in direct patient care, which are commonplace in health-care organizations and growing in importance. Although initially rare, today electronic medical record (EMR) and computerized practitioner order entry (CPOE) systems have been installed in many medical centers and are integrally tied to clinical care. Operating these systems over the long term requires planning for expansion, replacing hardware, hiring and training staff, promptly helping clinicians with application questions, avoiding and correcting network outages, upgrading hardware and software, creating new interfaces between systems, and myriad other tasks that are often unnoticed by clinicians who use them. It is therefore important that we have trained and experienced people who understand health care, information technology, health information regulations, and how to keep clinical computing systems reliably operating. Furthermore, it is important to develop or select, configure, and install clinical computing systems successfully, but to the degree that clinicians grow to depend on them, continuous availability becomes more important. The need for reliable clinical computing systems continues long after the satisfaction with initial installation has come and gone. The bar is continuously being raised, and once raised, it is not lowered without disruption and upsetting clinicians.
Catalysis by Supported Metals

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the interaction between metal and support, which may complicate the interpretation of data obtained with supported metals, the critical problem of determining the surface area of the metal, and illustrates the use of supported metals for the elucidation of the problem of catalyst specificity. Work on the series of platinum catalysts suggests that many reactions of hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and hydrogenolysis are structure-insensitive. If, these same catalysts are now used in reactions involving oxygen—decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, oxidation of methanol and ethanol, oxidation of acetaldehyde—the picture is substantially altered: while specific rates are again almost the same for highly dispersed samples with percentages of dispersion between 80 and 100%, these specific rates change by at least one order of magnitude on samples with a smaller dispersion (50%) and on platinum black.
Better options for work and retirement: some suggestions for improving economic security mechanisms for old age.

In his Kleemeier Lecture before the Gerontological Society of America, Maddox discussed three ideas about human aging that are central to his thought and research: heterogeneity of older adults, modifiability of aging processes, and choices regarding alternatives in constructing the future of aging (Maddox, 1987). Socioeconomic status, he reports, is one of the most powerful variables explaining the heterogeneity of older adults. Socioeconomic status, he argues, is the outcome of a society’s differential allocation of resources, as indexed mainly by income and education. While he views income and education as consequences of society’s differential allocation of resources, some may argue that uneven levels of income and educational attainment may result from other factors. Whether problems of adjustment to life are individually based or societally caused is an intriguing question. He does not discuss that controversy, however, since he recognizes that demonstrating the importance of soicoeconomic factors in human development does not require minimizing the relevance of biological factors. Regarding the question of what produces heterogeneity, he cites such factors as socioeconomic status of parents, personal ability, choices by self and others related to human-capital investments, learned adaptive skills, and randomness (or unpredictability of outcome) in the intersection of complex organisms with complex environments.
Disaster tolerant Wolfpack geo-clusters

Clustering of computer systems to increase application availability has become a common industry practice. While it does increase the availability of applications and their data to users, it does not solve the problem of a disaster (flood, tornado, earthquake, terrorism, civil unrest, etc.) making the entire cluster, and the applications and data it is serving, unavailable. Distance mirroring of an application's data store allows for recovery from disaster but may still result in long periods of unacceptable downtime. This paper describes a method for stretching a standard Wolfpack (Microsoft/sup /spl trade// Cluster Service, MSCS) cluster of Intel architecture servers geographically for disaster tolerance. Server nodes and their storage may be placed at two (or more) distant sites to prevent a single disaster from taking down the entire cluster. Standard cluster semantics and ease of use are maintained using the remote mirroring capabilities of Hewlett-Packard's high-end storage arrays. The design of additional software to control data mirroring behavior when moving or failing-over applications between server nodes is described. Also, software that allows "stretching" the cluster quorum disk between sites in a manner that is transparent to the cluster software and also software for an external arbitrator node that provides rapid recovery from total loss of inter-site communications is described. Flexibility provided by the array's firmware mirroring options (i.e. synchronous or asynchronous I/O mirroring) allows for optimum use of inter-site link bandwidth based on the data safety requirements of individual applications.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF GELATINOUS FIBERS TO WOOD STRUCTURE IN EASTERN COTTONWOOD (POPULUS DELTOIDES)

A B S T R A C T Wood samples from Populus deltoides Marsh. were used to investigate the relationship of gelatinous fibers to the size and number of other wood elements. An increase in the amount of gelatinous fibers was r elated to a decrease in diameter and an increase in wall thickness of non-gelatinous fibers. The relative sizes of rays, vessels, and fibers were inter-related, but all of these wood elements decreased in size with an increase in the amount of gelatinous fibers. Apparently environmental conditions controlling the differentiation of gelatinous fibers also influence the development of associated wood elements. Thus, the adverse physical pioperties of reaction wood must be attributed to all of these structural differences in the wood and not merely to the presence of large numbers of gelatinous fibers. THE EASTERN cottonwood (Populus deltoides 1\'Iarsh.) is among the most important of our world poplars for the manufacture of paper pulp, box venieer, shipping containers, and furniture parts. Its light color permits clear printing. Its low weight, resistanice to splitting, and toughness add to its value for making shipping containers. But not all cottonwood meets minimum standards for industrial use. Large numbers of gelatinous fibers are related to fuzzy surfaces, difficult machining, and faulty printing on lumber and veneer. Gelatiilous fibers are also associated with excessive longitudinal warping, some collapse in lumber and the buckling of veneer (Wahlgren, 1957). These fibers apparenitly occur in all cottonwoods but are most abundanit on the upper side of leaning and crooked trees (Kaeiser and Pillow, 1955; Berlyn, 1961). Gelatinous fibers in eastern cottonwood have been studied by a niumber of workers (Jayme, 1951; Kaeiser, 1955; Wahlgren, 1957; Berlyn, 1961), but the authors know of no studies of the relationship of gelatinous fibers to the size and number of other wood elemenits. Using small wood samples from 3 selected trees, the authors inivestigated correlations between the amoulit of gelatinous fibers aiid the size and number of other wood elements. Significant correlations were established between the amount of gelatinous fibers and the size of the wood elements, the iiunber of wood elemenits, and the wall thickness of the non-gelatinous fibers. The results also indicate that environmental conditions controlling the formation of gelatinous fibers also influence the development of the other associated wood elements.
Approximate model for blunt objects indenting cohesive‐frictional materials

SUMMARY An approximate two-dimensional model for indentation of blunt objects into various types of rigid-perfectly plastic cohesive-frictional material is derived. Particular emphasis is placed on considering indentation as a process involving evolution of the boundary of material displaced by the indenter. Force–penetration relationships are obtained by an incremental approach utilizing key kinematic and static information from indentation of a flat punch. Albeit approximate, the proposed model applies to arbitrary indenter geometry and weightless or ponderable cohesive-frictional materials exhibiting associated or non-associated plastic flow. Two specific indenter geometries, the cylinder and blunt wedge, are explored in detail. Favorable agreement is found between the analytic results and those obtained using the finite element method (FEM). For both the wedge and cylinder, it is further shown that accurate analytic expressions relating indentation force explicitly to penetration can be derived. In the case of the wedge and weightless material, predictions of indentation force obtained from the derived expressions are very close to those computed from implicit equations available in the literature. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.) leaves contain hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:tartaric acid hydroxycinnamoyl transferase activity and accumulate hydroxycinnamoyl-tartaric acid esters.

Many plants accumulate hydroxycinnamoyl esters to protect against abiotic and biotic stresses. Caffeoyl esters in particular can be substrates for endogenous polyphenol oxidases (PPOs). Recently, we showed that perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.) leaves contain PPO and identified one PPO substrate, caftaric acid (trans-caffeoyl-tartaric acid). Additional compounds were believed to be cis- and trans-p-coumaroyl tartaric acid and cis- and trans-feruloyl-tartaric acid, but lack of standards prevented definitive identifications. Here we characterize enzymatic activities in peanut leaves to understand how caftaric acid and related hydroxycinnamoyl esters are made in this species. We show that peanut leaves contain a hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:tartaric acid hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HTT) activity capable of transferring p-coumaroyl, caffeoyl, and feruloyl moieties from CoA to tartaric acid (specific activities of 11 ± 2.8, 8 ± 1.8, 4 ± 0.8 pkat mg−1 crude protein, respectively). The HTT activity was used to make cis- and trans-p-coumaroyl- and -feruloyl-tartaric acid in vitro. These products allowed definitive identification of the corresponding cis- and trans-hydroxycinnamoyl esters extracted from leaves. We tentatively identified sinapoyl-tartaric acid as another major phenolic compound in peanut leaves that likely participates in secondary reactions with PPO-generated quinones. These results suggest hydroxycinnamoyl-tartaric acid esters are made by an acyltransferase, possibly a BAHD family member, in perennial peanut. Identification of a gene encoding HTT and further characterization of the enzyme will aid in identifying determinants of donor and acceptor substrate specificity for this important class of biosynthetic enzymes. An HTT gene could also provide a means by genetic engineering for producing caffeoyl- and other hydroxycinnamoyl-tartaric acid esters in forage crops that lack them.
Strategic Linkages: The Evolving Role of Trade Agreements in Global Environmental Governance

Recently negotiated linkages between trade and environmental agreements have the potential to enhance environmental regime effectiveness in ways that have been impossible under environmental treati...
American Indian Education

This article examines history writing on American Indian education to show its movement from a focus on federal policy to studies that incorporate Native people’s perspectives. The article discusses the benefits and challenges of using oral histories, interviews, and autobiographies for historical analysis and points to the value of a multi-voiced, interdisciplinary approach.
Energy levels of one and two holes in parabolic quantum dots

Calculations of energy levels of single-hole and two-hole states in a GaAs/${\mathrm{Al}}_{0.3}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{0.7}$As parabolic quantum dot have been performed with a multiband effective-mass method. Both the valence-band degeneracy and the Coulomb interaction are taken into account using the axial approximation for the bulk band structure. The variational problem is solved with an iterative relaxation technique which allows us to use a large number of basis functions. The valence-band mixing is shown to be substantial and the Coulomb interaction between the holes leads to a resonant tunneling energy that is (in general) nonlinear with respect to the strength of the confinement potential. It is found that at sufficiently large confinement potentials, both the single-hole and two-hole ground states are changed from primarily heavy-hole-like to light-hole-like. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Convergence of the conjugate gradient method with computationally convenient modifications

The conjugate gradient (CG) method has been well analyzed [6] as a method of solving linear operator equations; its practical aspects in this regard have also been thoroughly reported for systems of linear algebraic equations in an excellent s tudy b y ENGELI, et al. [2]. For nonlinear equations, it is possible to implement the CG idea in several ways [3, 4, 7a, 7b, 8]; earlier papers [la, 1hi described the theoretical aspects of one particular implementation, while the present report continues with a discussion of the effect on the convergence of introducing certain computat ional ly convenient alterations. Numerical examples are given comparing different methods of solution and describing certain difficulties tha t m a y arise with CG methods for finite systems of (nonlinear) algebraic equations. Let 1 J(x) be a norm continuous operator in x from a real separable Hilbert space ~ with inner product ( . , • ) into ~ ; for each x in ~ let there exist the Frechet derivative J~ with range ~ and Gateaux derivative J~'. We assume tha t IIJ~lt and fIJ~'ll are uniformly bounded and tha t J~ is a self-adjoint uniformly positive definite operator, i.e. O < a I < ~ J ~ A I , lI/2'fl T~e CG iteration to solve J(x) = 0 is as follows:
The promotion of academic accountants

Abstract Using publicly available information, mainly the Hasselback directory, promotions of doctorally qualified U.S. academic accountants are examined for the 1980 to 1985 time period. The dependent variables considered are time to promotion from date of terminal degree and the likelihood that a move from one institution to another occurs at the time of promotion. The independent variables include personal characteristics such as degree concentration and interest area as well as characteristics of the school where the promotion occurs such as size and maximum degree offered. One finding of the study is that research-oriented institutions take longer to promote their faculty and are less likely to hire and promote simultaneously than are less research-oriented institutions
Effects of watershed liming on the soil chemistry of Woods Lake, New York

The effects of watershed liming on the exchange complex of a forest soil were investigated at Woods Lake, in the west-central Adirondack Park, New York. Attempts to neutralize lake acidity via direct application of calcite during the 1980’s were short-lived due to a short hydraulic retention time. The Experimental Watershed Liming Study (EWLS) was initiated to investigate watershed base addition as a potentially more long-term strategy for mitigation of lake acidity. In this paper we discuss the changes in the exchangeable soil complex which occurred in response to the calcite addition and attempt a mass balance for calcite applied to the watershed.
Complexing of trivalent actinide ions by thiocyanate

Abstract The thermodynamic parameters for the formation of M (SCN) (aq) +2 ( M = Eu, Am, Cm and Bk) have been obtained by the solvent extraction technique. The values are interpreted as indicating that M (SCN) (aq) +2 is predominantly outer sphere. Extraction over a wide range of thiocyanate concentration with DNNS, TBP and R 4 NSCN extractants are interpreted as indicating that M (SCN) 3 is predominantly inner sphere.
Asymptotics for Multivariate t-Statistic and Hotelling's T2-Statistic Under Infinite Second Moments via Bootstrapping

We define the appropriate analogue of Student?s t-statistic for multivariate data, and prove that it is asymptotically normal for random vectors in the domain of attraction of the normal law. We also prove that Hotelling?s T2-statistic has a chi-squared limiting distribution for random vectors in the generalized domain of attraction of the normal law. Our tool in proving these results is the bootstrap. We prove that the bootstrap version of the multivariate t-statistic is asymptotically normal when the parent distribution is in the generalized domain of attraction of the normal law.
The kinetics of mineralization in vitro. I. The nucleation properties of 640-Å collagen at 25°

Abstract As a result of a preliminary study of the kinetics of mineralization of native collagen in vitro at 25°, the following tentative conclusions are reached. The uptake of mineral by collagen in its 640-A aggregation state takes place by two kinetic processes: nucleation and crystal growth. The rate of growth of the crystals is determined by a diffusion process through the collagen matrix with an apparent diffusion coefficient of approx. 1 · 10 −8 cm 2 · sec −1 at 25° and pH 7.4. The nucleation step at the concentrations employed at 25° involves the formation of a critical size cluster of 11–13 ions. The surface energy of the collagen cluster complex is 130 ergs · cm −2 . It was estimated that the collagen matrix reduces by a factor of two the size of the nucleus needed for mineralization in the absence of matrix under the conditions studied.
Lorenz ordering of order statistics

Abstract Let X i : n denote the ith order statistic of a random sample of size n from a continuous distribution with cdf F. Sufficient conditions are obtained on F so that X j : m ⩽ ⋆ X i : n (hence X j : m ⩽ Lorenz X i : n ) for i ⩽ j and n - i ⩾ m - j .
Pump-Noise Transfer Mitigation in Parametric Sampling Gates

A new technique for pump-noise transfer cancellation in parametric sampling gates is presented. The method relies on simultaneous detections of the pump and the idler after the mixing process. The detected pump fluctuations are used to suppress the idler variations transferred during the parametric mixing process. An 11-dB improvement in idler electrical signal-to-noise ratio is demonstrated experimentally.
Ecology of Infectious Disease: Forging an Alliance

The Ecology of Infectious Diseases (EID) program is a joint National Science Foundation–National Institutes of Health initiative to produce predictive understanding of disease dynamics, with a focus on diseases with an environmental component. The interdisciplinary research projects funded by this program take advantage of the wide range of theoretical and methodological advances developed over the past 30 years. The challenge for disease ecology is to unravel these systems, discover how complex they truly are, and to determine if they can be predicted and controlled using targeted environmental, public health, or medical interventions. Between 1999 and 2005, a total of 42 research awards were made under the EID program. EID projects have had affects on policy in two areas: adoption of novel interventions on a local scale and use of models by government agencies for the purpose of allocating public health resources. The past 6 years have been an exciting time for the field of disease ecology; we expect the coming years to be even more exciting and productive.
Linkers and catalysts immobilized on oxide supports : New insights by solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Abstract This review article describes classical and modern solid-state NMR methods that allow to gain insight into catalyst systems where one or two metal complexes are bound to oxide supports via bifunctional phosphine linkers, such as (EtO)3Si(CH2)3PPh2. Many aspects of the immobilized molecular catalysts can be elucidated with the corresponding NMR technique. The bulk of the support can be studied, as well as the interface of the support with the ethoxysilane. With respect to the linkers, their structural integrity and mobility are as easy to investigate by classical CP/MAS and high-resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) NMR techniques, as their adsorption behavior. Even electrostatic bonding to the support via phosphonium groups can be proven by solid-state NMR. For the immobilized catalysts, leaching, and even “horizontal” translational mobility effects, as probed by HRMAS NMR under “realistic conditions” in the presence of solvents, are described.
Signet-ring cell carcinoma in a goat.

A 3.5-year-old, intact female Boer goat was presented to the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a one-day history of being recumbent and unable to rise. The owners purchased t...
A troublesome inheritance: genes, race and human history

It seems that every five to ten years or so, a highly publicized book delving into the realm of sociobiology, claiming that biologically distinct human races conclusively exist and exhibit discerni...
Aircraft Interrogation Scheduling with ASTRO-DABS

In the ASTRO-DABS concept for surveillance and data link, aircraft are interrogated by one of three geostationary transmitter satellites, each covering 1/3 of the contiguous United States. Interrogation scheduling involves a roll call such that aircraft responses to receiving satellites do not overlap (garble). A simple approach is developed which utilizes range ordering of aircraft with respect to transmitter satellites, but is independent of receiver satellite locations and aircraft distribution. Bounds on roll-call duration are established, showing that interrogation of 80 000 aircraft requires between 4.0 and 6.4 seconds with the ASTRO-DABS transmission format. If aircraft distribution is regionally concentrated (i.e., clustered), the roll-call duration nears the lower bound, since fewer gaps between interrogations are needed to preclude garbling.
Cascade: A High-Efficiency ICF Power Reactor

Cascade attains a net power-plant efficiency of 49% and its cost is competitive with high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, pressurized-water reactor, and coal-fired power plants. The Cascade reactor and blanket are made of ceramic materials and activation is 6 times less than that of the MARS Tandem Mirror Reactor operating at comparable power. Hands-on maintenance of the heat exchangers is possible one day after shutdown. Essentially all tritium is recovered in the vacuum system, with the remainder recovered from the helium power conversion loop. Tritium leakage external to the vacuum system and power conversion loop is only 0.03 Ci/d.
Annulation of primary amines to piperazines and diazaspirocycles utilizing alpha-methyl benzyl resin.

The microwave-assisted solid-phase synthesis of piperazines, 3,9-diazaspiro[5.5]undecanes and 2,9-diazaspiro[5.5]undecanes is reported. The synthesis relies on the direct annulation of primary amines with resin-bound bismesylates 12, 17, and 22. Critical to the success of this chemistry was the development of α-methyl benzyl carbamate resin linker. This resin permits the cleavage of the heterocycles under mildly acidic conditions, free of contaminating linker-derived N-alkylated byproducts.
Women, Work, and Learning.

Women are disadvantaged when it comes to opportunity and learning. Adult educators can take steps to begin changing women's secondary status in the workplace.
Time-resolved fluorescence from the 1Au state of glyoxal

Pulsed, tunable, dye lasers have been used to measure directly the lifetime of the 1Au state of low pressure glyoxal vapor. A collision-free lifetime of (2.16 ± 0.05) μsec is obtained. Quenching as the result of molecular collisions with a variety of buffer gases is also studied, and quenching rate constants determined from Stern-Volmer plots are reported. Under low resolution the collision-free lifetime of glyoxal appears to be independent of wavelength over the range 4510 A to 4585 A.
Demographic Differences and Attitudes toward Computers among Healthcare Professionals Earning Continuing Education Credits On-Line

The use of technology, such as the Web, has become an increasingly popular means for disseminating professional development and continuing education. Often, these methods assume a set of attitudes and skills related to the computer as a pedagogic and communication tool. We argue that it is, however, important to measure the actual attitudes of students participating in such computer-based continuing education programs since such information about attitudes toward technology (technographics) can help to understand the potential success of educational technology programs. The study explores several technographic characteristics of a health professionals participating in an on-line herbal medicine curriculum. The results indicate significant differences in attitudes toward technology between different groups of healthcare professionals, as well as differences based on gender.
Solution of Ni−Cr alloy oxides in an alkali alumino-silicate glass

Abstract During fusion of porcelain onto metal substrates, oxides on the alloy are dissolved by the glassy phase of the porcelain. The extent of solution needed for development of a bond has been discussed in theory, but measurements of oxide thickness and solubility have proven difficult to obtain. In this study, the interfacial compositions of Ni−Cr alloy/glass couples were determined using Auger analysis. The samples consisted of buttons of glass fused to 5 proprietary Ni−Cr alloys. After dissolution of the alloy by a 10% Br-methanol solution, the glass was analyzed. The diffusion profiles of elements in the oxide indicated incomplete dissolution of the oxide by the glass. High amounts of silicon were also found at the alloy/oxide interface.
Atovaquone versus trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole as Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia prophylaxis following renal transplantation

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients (RTR). Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) is considered the prophylactic agent-of-choice. Some patients require an alternative owing to TMP-SMZ intolerance. This is the first evaluation of full-dose atovaquone vs. TMP-SMZ for PCP prevention in RTR. One hundred and eighty-five RTR were evaluated in this single-center, retrospective analysis. Patients received either single-strength TMP-SMZ daily (group I; n = 160) or 1500 mg/d of atovaquone and of a fluoroquinolone for one month (group II; n = 25). The primary endpoint was the incidence of PCP at 12 months post-transplant. There were no cases of PCP in either group. There were comparable rates of infections from bacterial pathogens and cytomegalovirus, but rates of BK viremia were significantly higher in group I (22.5%) vs. group II (4%; p = 0.03). The incidence of leukopenia was similar in both groups. Higher mean potassium levels were seen in group I at three months post-transplant but were comparable at all other time points. The need for dose reduction and/or premature discontinuation of therapy secondary to adverse events was more prevalent in TMP-SMZ-treated patients. In our experience, atovaquone appears to be effective in preventing PCP post-renal transplant and also demonstrates good tolerability.
Numerical experiments in 2-D IHCP on bounded domains Part I: The “interior” cube problem

Abstract Different space marching implementations of the Mollification Method are introduced to numerically recover the temperature and heat flux histories at interior points of bounded subdomains of a finite two-dimensional rectangular body when the temperature and heat flux functions are approximately measured at one boundary side.
Reengineering Gender: Relations in Modern Militaries: An Evolutionary Perspective

This article presents an evolutionary framework for understanding the sexual assault of women in the military. We specify the evolutionary underpinnings of tensions among heterosexual males, among heterosexual females, and between males and females and discuss how these tensions have played out in the strongly gendered context of warrior culture. In the absence of cultural interventions that take into account deep-seated conceptions of women in the military as unwelcome intruders, sexual resources for military men, or both, military women operate in an environment in which sexual assault may be deployed to enact and defend traditional military structures. We discuss how unit norms are likely to affect the choice of strategies by men and by women and how the resulting behaviors—including celibacy, consensual sex, and sexual assault—should affect horizontal and vertical unit cohesion. The framework is intended to guide future data collection in theoretically coherent ways and to inform the framing and enfor...
Regulation of parathyroid hormone and vitamin D in essential hypertension

Patients with essential hypertension have been reported to have a higher serum concentration of parathyroid hormone (PTH) than normotensive individuals although this finding is not universal among studies. To further characterize the status of the calcium regulating hormones in essential hypertension, we measured the parathyroid gland response to acute EDTA-induced hypocalcemia and the renal response of 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D to dietary calcium deprivation in 16 hypertensive (H) and 15 normotensive (N) men. The average mean arterial blood pressure once all antihypertensive medications were discontinued was 108 +/- 7 mm Hg for the hypertensive group and 89 +/- 4 mm Hg for the normotensive group (P < .01). There were no group differences in baseline serum concentrations of ionized calcium, creatinine, intact PTH, and 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D, urinary calcium excretion, and creatinine clearance. After a 1-h infusion of EDTA at 12.5 mg/kg/h, the serum concentration of ionized calcium fell (H: 1.25 +/- .03 to 1.17 +/- .04 mmol/L, N: 1.26 +/- .04 to 1.18 +/- .04 mmol/L, P = NS) and PTH increased (H: 36 +/- 9 to 91 +/- 30 pg/mL, N: 40 +/- 14 to 85 +/- 28 pg/mL, P = NS). With an additional hour of EDTA at a dose of 25 mg/kg/h, serum ionized calcium concentration fell further (H: 1.01 +/- .05 mmol/L, N: 1.03 +/- .06 mmol/L, P = NS) and PTH increased to 150 +/- 58 pg/ml in patients and 130 +/- 32 pg/ml in controls (P < .001). The response suggested an increased maximal parathyroid gland secretory capacity in the hypertensive patients relative to the controls. There was no group difference in the serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D at baseline (H: 32 +/- 6 pg/ml, N: 32 +/- 8 pg/ml, P < .90) and following dietary calcium deprivation for three days (H 50 +/- 12, N 48 +/- 14 P < 0.76). The maximal stimulated PTH level was significantly higher in hypertensive than normotensive subjects in the absence of measured differences in serum ionized calcium concentration, serum 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D concentration, and creatinine clearance. These findings suggest an intrinsic alteration of PTH regulation in patients with essential hypertension, manifest as increased parathyroid gland secretory capacity.
Neurocritical care: Divining death—do we have the right tools for the job?

Given the national deficit in available organs for transplantation, substantial motivation exists to enhance procurement in the area of donation after cardiac death. This article reviews a new predictive tool that aims to identify donors dying within the viable time frame while reducing the human and resource implications of unsuccessful attempts.
Hurricane wrack generates landscape-level heterogeneity in coastal pine savanna

Wrack (vegetation debris) deposited by storm surges of major hurricanes along the northern Gulf of Mexico produces depressant effects that vary from partial to complete mortality of groundcover vegetation in coastal savannas. As wrack decomposes or is relocated by a subsequent hurricane, patches are opened to colonization. We postulated that patterns of wrack deposition and removal, coupled with differential responses by savanna plant species should produce alternate states of groundcover vegetation. We explored extreme effects of wrack deposited by Hurricane Katrina (2005) in savannas dominated by slash pine Pinus elliottii and cordgrass Spartina patens and located above mean high tide at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, USA. In 2008, we established plots in adjacent areas with and without wrack deposits. Almost no groundcover plant species occurred in wrack deposits compared to adjacent groundcover without wrack. We simulated redistribution of wrack during a new storm surge by removing wrack from replicated plots and depositing it in plots without wrack, recording plant species in treatment and control plots before, then one month and one year after manipulations. One year later, about half the species present before wrack addition (especially dominant graminoids) grew back through redistributed wrack, suggesting that some species were resistant to burial of limited amounts of wrack. Wrack removal resulted in germination and establishment of numerous herbaceous plant species not in undisturbed groundcover, doubling total aboveground numbers of species in the pine savanna and shifting groundcover communities to alternate states not present prior to Katrina. Removal of wrack opens space colonized by resilient species, including those transported in wrack and those surviving intervals between disturbances belowground. Wrack dynamics (deposition and removal) generated alternate states that resulted from resistance- and resilience-driven changes in different patches of groundcover in coastal savannas.
Child care: A mirror of human history

Abstract Child care in any period of history can be understood best as a reflection of society itself during that era. When children are treated cruelly or indifferently we are likely to find that people of all ages and most classes were treated similarly. When greater benevolence seems to be the order of the day children are more highly regarded and efforts are made to develop systems of care which are kinder and which will lead children more gently toward useful adulthood. The study of the development of child care in this country documents this assertion. From the Elizabethan Poor Law, transplanted to these shores by the earliest settlers, through efforts to save souls as well as bodies, to current disagreements about the relative efficacy of institutionalization and foster care we see the reflections of our society's view of itself. When saving money becomes more important than saving the distressed, services suffer. Only by becoming aware of this entanglement of child care with societal attitudes in general can those who work with children learn to exert that influence on developments in their field now largely in the hands of persons who have neither knowledge nor interest in the subject.
Role of dorsal medial prefrontal cortex dopamine D1-family receptors in relapse to high-fat food seeking induced by the anxiogenic drug yohimbine.

In humans, relapse to maladaptive eating habits during dieting is often provoked by stress. In rats, the anxiogenic drug yohimbine, which causes stress-like responses in both humans and nonhumans, reinstates food seeking in a relapse model. In this study, we examined the role of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) dopamine D1-family receptors, previously implicated in stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking, in yohimbine-induced reinstatement of food seeking. We trained food-restricted rats to lever press for 35% high-fat pellets every other day (9–15 sessions, 3 h each); pellet delivery was accompanied by a discrete tone-light cue. We then extinguished operant responding for 10–16 days by removing the pellets. Subsequently, we examined the effect of yohimbine (2 mg/kg, i.p.) on reinstatement of food seeking and Fos (a neuronal activity marker) induction in mPFC. We then examined the effect of systemic injections of the D1-family receptor antagonist SCH23390 (10 μg/kg, s.c.) on yohimbine-induced reinstatement and Fos induction, and that of mPFC SCH23390 (0.5 and 1.0 μg/side) injections on this reinstatement. Yohimbine-induced reinstatement was associated with strong Fos induction in the dorsal mPFC and with weaker Fos induction in the ventral mPFC. Systemic SCH23390 injections blocked both yohimbine-induced reinstatement and mPFC Fos induction. Dorsal, but not ventral, mPFC injections of SCH23390 decreased yohimbine-induced reinstatement of food seeking. In addition, dorsal mPFC SCH23390 injections decreased pellet-priming-induced reinstatement, but had no effect on ongoing high-fat pellet self-administration or discrete-cue-induced reinstatement. Results indicate a critical role of dorsal mPFC dopamine D1-family receptors in stress-induced relapse to palatable food seeking, as well as relapse induced by acute re-exposure to food taste, texture, and smell.