cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Should fewer premature infants be screened for retinopathy of prematurity in the managed care era

Objective. To determine appropriate upper limits for gestational age and birth weight when screening infants for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Design. Retrospective survey. Setting. Tertiary neonatal intensive care nursery. Patients. Seven hundred seven infants born July 1, 1990 to June 30, 1996 and screened for ROP according to the 1988 to 1996 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. Outcome Measures. Maximum stage of ROP with respect to birth weight and gestational age. Results. No ROP more than Stage 1 was observed in infants with gestational ages ≥32 weeks or birth weights ≥1500 g. All cases of threshold and Stage 4 ROP were confined to infants with gestational ages ≤30 weeks or birth weights Conclusions. The latest American Academy of Pediatrics screening guidelines for ROP are discretionary for infants with birth weights >1500 g or gestational ages >28 weeks. If ROP screening is limited to infants with birth weights of ≤1500 g, 34.2% fewer infants would require screening compared with the previous
A TECHNIQUE FOR REMOVING STRONG CONTINUUM-RELATED BASELINE STRUCTURE FROM SINGLE-DISH SPECTRA WITHOUT FITTING SINUSOIDS OR POLYNOMIALS

A new data reduction technique is described which enables observers using single-dish radio telescopes at centimeter wavelengths to obtain flat spectral baselines without having to fit and remove sinusoids or polynomials. With this technique flat baselines can be obtained over the entire instantaneous bandwidth provided by the receiver, even when the source continuum is strong and the linewidths are reasonably wide.
Theoretical study of the tautomerism, structures, and vibrational frequencies of the phosphaalkenes XP=C(CH3)2 (X = H, F, Cl, Br, OH, Ar(F) (Ar(F) = 2,6-(CF3)2C6H3)).

Ab initio theoretical calculations have been used to study the influence of phosphorus substituents, Y, on the tautomerism between the vinylphosphine XP(H)C(CH3)═CH2 and the phosphaalkene XP═C(CH3)2 (X = H, F, Cl, Br, OH, and ArF; ArF = 2,6-(CF3)2C6H3) and on the acidity of the aforementioned vinylphosphine. The stabilization of the phosphaalkene and the increased acidity of the vinylphosphine by ArF are possible factors in the successful synthesis of certain isolable phosphaalkenes. In this work, the properties of ArF are assessed theoretically. Density functional theory using the B3LYP functional has been used for all substituents. In addition, coupled-cluster singles and doubles with noniterative triples (CCSD(T)) has been used for X = H, F, Cl, Br, and OH. The phosphaalkene is favored over the vinylphosphine for all substituents, with F having the strongest stabilizing effect. Cl, Br, and OH have stronger stabilizing effects than ArF. In contrast, the most acidic vinylphosphine is that with ArF. To ai...
Teaching foreign currency translation: A flowchart approach

Abstract This paper briefly discusses the major aspects of FASB Statement No. 52 and presents a flowchart designed to assist accounting instructors in teaching the accounting and reporting requirements for foreign currency translations.
Mental Stress Quantification and Identification Decision Modeling

This paper describes an approach to quantify mental stresses. The tool of fuzzy set theory is used to model the information regarding the job (task) and operator's mental and clinical status. Utilizing this concept, a model is developed to aid in decision making under those circumstances when an operator (responsible for performing critical tasks, such as monitoring ground support equipment) is under the influence of mental stress and his/her ability to continue on the job, without making fatal mistakes, is temporarily compromised. The objective of the decision model is to make the operator-task assignments based on the fuzzy operator and task information matrices. The decision alternatives are: (i) assign the operator to a non-critical job, (ii) give the operator time off for recovery, and (iii) let the operator continue on the job. The model takes into account the physiological, the psychological/behavioral, and the performance parameters and dynamically reviews the operator status using the data base u...
Threonine tRNAs and their genes in Escherichia coli.

The subject of this study was the threonine isoacceptor family of tRNAs in Escherichia coli and the genes coding for them. The goal was to identify and map all the genes and to determine the relative contribution of each gene to the tRNA pool. The mapping experiments exploited gene-dosage effects in partially diploid strains; if a strain harboring a particular F′ episome overproduced a particular tRNA species, it could be concluded that the gene for that tRNA was located on the chromosomal segment carried by the F′. Isoacceptor tRNAs were distinguished by column fractionation. It was found that there are three major threonine tRNA species that occur in roughly equal amounts. These are tRNA 1 Thr , which is encoded by a gene in the distal region of the rrnD ribosomal RNA operon, and tRNA 3 Thr and tRNA 4 Thr , which come from genes in the cluster thrU tyrU glyT thrT at 89 min on the map. The relative abundances of the tRNA species roughly match the reported frequencies of the codons that they recognize in mRNA. Although the tRNA 4 Thr has a mismatched base pair that raised questions about its biological activity, it was found to be functional at least with respect to recognition by the threonyl-tRNA synthetase. An apparent fourth gene affecting threonine tRNA has been identified and mapped at 6–8 min; it is here designated thrW. It may be a structural gene for a minor tRNA species, present in one-third the amount of each of the major species, and chromatographically indistinguishable from tRNA 4 Thr .
Effects of storage at low-temperature of various heteropteran host eggs on the egg parasitoid, Trissolcus semistriatus

Various heteropteran host eggs stored under two low-temperatures were tested in the laboratory for their usability in the production of sunn pest egg parasitoid, Trissolcus semistriatus. Parasitism, adult emergence rate and development time were assesed on stored and fresh eggs of Eurygaster integriceps, Dolycoris baccarum, Graphosoma lineatum and Eurydema ornatum. Masses of fresh host eggs in microcentrifuge tubes were maintained at +6 °C and −20 °C. Every 30 days, 50 eggs of host species were exposed to parasitism by T. semistriatus. The host eggs stored at 6 °C remained viable to parasitism by T. semistriatus up to 2 months, while those of stored at −20 °C were parasitized at high rates up to 4 months, alhough succesful parasitism rates decrease with time. However, it was indicated that both fresh or stored E. ornatum eggs were not preferred to parasitism by the parasitoid. A longer development time from egg to adult was observed in stored eggs under two tested storage techniques when compared with fresh eggs.
An essential ligand binding domain in the membrane receptor for retinol binding protein revealed by large-scale mutagenesis and a human polymorphism

Plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP), the principal carrier of vitamin A in the blood, delivers vitamin A from liver, the site of storage, to distant organs that need vitamin A, such as the eye, brain, placenta, and testis. STRA6 is a high-affinity membrane receptor for RBP and mediates vitamin A uptake in these target organs. STRA6 is a 74-kDa multi-transmembrane domain protein that represents a new class of membrane transport protein. In this study, we used an unbiased strategy by analyzing >900 random mutants of STRA6 to study its structure and function, and we identified an essential RBP-binding domain in STRA6. Mutations in any of the three essential residues in this domain can almost completely abolish binding of STRA6 to RBP and its vitamin A uptake activity from holo-RBP without affecting its cell surface expression. We have also functionally characterized the mutations in human STRA6 that cause severe birth defects as well as several human polymorphisms. All STRA6 mutants associated with severe birth defects have largely abolished vitamin A uptake activity, consistent with the severe clinical phenotypes. In addition, we have identified a human polymorphism that significantly reduces the vitamin A uptake activity of STRA6. Interestingly, the residue affected by this polymorphism is located in the RBP-binding domain we identified, and the polymorphism causes decreased vitamin A uptake by reducing RBP binding. This study identifies an essential functional domain in STRA6 and a human polymorphism in this domain that leads to reduced vitamin A uptake activity.
Breastfeeding among Turkish mothers living in suburbs of Istanbul and Stockholm--a comparison.

The infant feeding pattern among 96 Turkish mothers living in a suburb of Istanbul and 30 living in a suburb of Stockholm both with working class characteristics was determined. The duration of breastfeeding among the Turkish immigrants living in the Stockholm suburb was significantly reduced compared to the group with a similar social background but living in a native urban area. Infant feeding patterns among the Turkish immigrant mothers were similar to those of Swedish populations. Attitudes on breastfeeding among the immigrant group had changed. Early weaning reliance on commercially available infant foods and bottlefeeding characterized their infant feeding practices. The majority of the infants of this group showed a tendency to be overweight. (authors modified)
The Principal Time and Space Scales of the Pacific Trade Wind Fields.

Abstract Five million ship observations have been used to obtain a description of the Pacific trade wind fields in terms of empirical orthogonal functions. The description covers the period 1950–72 in two-month intervals. The major conclusions are as follows: 1) The core regions of the trade winds are quasi-permanent in position. 2) The winds in these regions experience large (20–40%) interannual fluctuations in strength, thus suggesting similarly large changes in the momentum and kinetic energy of the trade wind system. 3) The area of maximum trades expands and contracts at interannual time scales. 4) The ITCZ and the thermal equator in the ocean are congruent on annual and interannual time scales. 5) The northeast and southeast trades are seasonally out of phase. However, the winds immediately poleward of a given trade system fluctuate in phase with the trade system of the opposite hemisphere. The northeast and southeast trades are weakly coupled at interannual time scales. 6) The maximum interannual va...
Areal Parameters of the Sea Breeze and Its Vertical Structure in the Boston Basin

Abstract The sea breeze is a mesoscale wind whose frequency of occurrence is 40–50 times annually in the Boston Basin. Boston's sea breeze is among the best developed of all midlatitude sites studied. The complexity of site conditions and an urban concentration alter the characteristics of the sea breeze with inland penetration. Vertical temperature and dew point data have provided the first detailed look at the changes effected in Boston's atmosphere by this local wind. The data have also revealed that Boston's sea breeze is not always a moist flow of marine air but that the moisture content of the air is directly related to the regional wind speed and direction prior to onset of the sea breeze. Transformations of the vertical characteristics of the atmosphere suggest subtle but serious geographic and environmental variations in the spatial distribution of atmospheric contaminants.
Charles Robert Maturin and the Haunting of Irish Romantic Fiction

The Irish Gothic has “haunted” the criticism of nineteenth-century Irish fiction of late, and Christina Morin’s monograph on Charles Robert Maturin, best known as the author of the late-arriving Go...
Lymphomas of the oral cavity: histology, immunologic type, and incidence of Epstein-Barr virus infection.

The purpose of this study was to determine the histologic class and immunologic phenotype of lymphomas presenting initially in the oral cavity and whether this correlated to a high incidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection as has been reported with lymphomas in the nasal cavity. Seventy-one cases of oral lymphomas from the oral pathology referral service were analyzed retrospectively. They were classified according to the Revised European American Lymphoma (REAL) classification system using routine immunohistochemistry. EBV infection was determined by detection of early viral RNA sequences (EBER) and latent membrane protein (LMP-1) expression. Only non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were observed, with a female predominance of 2:1. They were primarily of B-cell origin and histologically classified mainly as large B-cell type (68%); T-cell lymphomas were rare (8%). EBV infection was observed in 14% of the B-cell lymphomas, an incidence rate higher than that reported in studies of B-cell lymphomas not located in the oral cavity but not as high as that observed in pleomorphic T-cell lymphomas (all sites, 36%) or nasal cavity T-cell lymphomas (nearly 100%). Interestingly, EBV proliferation did not correlate with expression of either Bcl-2 or p53.
Distribution of chemosynthetic biological communities in Monterey Bay, California

We report the first quantitative evaluation of the distribution of seafloor chemosynthetic biological communities on a regional scale. The results are based on the analysis of video images and navigation from 792 benthic remotely operated vehicle dives conducted on the continental margin in Monterey Bay, California. These communities are common, occurring within 5% of the 25-m-square grid cells within which there have been bottom observations within 45 km of the bay9s head and within 9% of the visited cells that are below 550 m water depth. Although it has been previously assumed that these communities are associated with fluid seepage from faults, they are not more common within known fault zones. Surprisingly, the communities in Monterey Bay occur preferentially on steep slopes, which are commonly sites of recent erosion.
Diode Phase-Discriminators

Two sinusoidal phase-discriminators are analyzed and it is found that universal curves of their general phase characteristics can be plotted as a function of two parameters. From these curves it is concluded that the resistances in series with the tubes and also the tube resistances themselves are the most important factors in determining optimum performance.
How Welfare Reform Can Affect Marriage:Evidence from an Experimental Study in Minnesota

A stated goal of the welfare legislation of 1996 was to develop policies to encourage “the formation and maintenance of two-parent families,” yet states were given little guidance about how to do this. Experimental evidence from the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), a program that tested the effects of an enhanced earnings disregard designed to encourage work and reduce poverty, shows that welfare policies can produce important effects on marital behavior even without explicit strategies aimed to do so. Three years after study entry, MFIP increased marriage rates among single parent long-term recipients and increased marital stability among two-parent recipient families. Similar effects were not found among newer applicants to welfare, possibly because many of these families leave welfare quickly. Replicating programs like MFIP in different settings and understanding why applicants responded differently will be essential to informing the policy significance of these findings.
Institutional Arrangements and the Dynamics of Agenda Formation in the U.S. Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals

The manner in which agenda change occurs demonstrates how institutional arrangements influence agenda priorities in the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals. A neo-institutional theoretic perspective is employed to examine the dynamics of agenda formation in these courts. The article finds that the Supreme Court's agenda choices influence the decisions of litigants, interest groups, and lawyers to appeal certain cases to the Courts of Appeals. While the Supreme Court's agenda primarily is influenced by internal factors, it is constrained by agenda changes in the appeals courts. Critically, it is shown that these federal appellate courts exist within an endogenous system with respect to agenda for- mation, as both courts respond to agenda changes made in the other over time. The definition of the alternatives is the supreme instrument of power. (Schattschneider's The Semisovereign People 1960, p. 68)
Attacking item-based recommender systems with power items

Recommender Systems (RS) are vulnerable to attack by malicious users who intend to bias the recommendations for their own benefit. Research in this area has developed attack models, detection methods, and mitigation schemes to understand and protect against such attacks. For Collaborative Filtering RSs, model-based approaches such as item-based and matrix-factorization were found to be more robust to many types of attack. Advice in designing for system robustness has thus been to employ model-based approaches. Our recent work with the Power User Attack (PUA), however, determined that attackers disguised as influential users can successfully attack (from the attacker's viewpoint) SVD-based recommenders, as well as user-based. But item-based systems remained robust to the PUA. In this paper we investigate a new, complementary attack model, the Power Item Attack (PIA), that uses influential items to successfully attack RSs. We show that the PIA is able to impact not only user-based and SVD-based recommenders but also the heretofore highly robust item-based approach, using a novel multi-target attack vector.
Peer Intervention in Dating Violence: Beliefs of African-American Middle School Adolescents

ABSTRACT This is a qualitative, descriptive study of 202 urban, African-American seventh graders that examines their views of peer intervention in dating violence. After viewing a video vignette showing friends confronting another male about abusing his girlfriend, the adolescents were asked to respond in writing to questions about whose business the violence was and whether they would get involved. The most popular answers were “I would not get involved,” and “the violence was only the couple's business.” Some adolescents worried that they might get hurt or make things worse by intervening, but some discussed sound plans for intervention. The findings suggest that adolescents need help in defining which situations merit peer intervention and in gaining skills to intervene safely and effectively.
Lunar Occultation and Provisional Identification of MSH 21-23

Radio source MSH 21-23 observation during lunar occultation, using parabolic antenna and switched- type gain modulated receiver
Drug education to school children: does it really work?

Summary Despite the great efforts made by law enforcement agencies around the world, the evidence is that illicit substances are becoming more easily available. Increasing emphasis is being put on prevention by education. This review examines and evaluates some of the currently used drug education approaches and programmes. The evidence so far indicates that some programmes had limited effectiveness; most had major shortcomings, and there is little to choose between them. Certain aspects of the evaluated educational approaches have some potential This review also discusses a possible way of combining these aspects in a school-based educational programme.
Searching for books and images in OPAC: Effects of LCSH, TOC and subject domains

The enhanced subject representation improves the performance in retrieving relevant records via keyword searching in conjunction with subject headings (controlled vocabulary). The effectiveness of two types of subject representation-TOC (notes) and LCSH- in subject search for books and images was investigated within an OPAC system. Our poster will report findings regarding user queries and retrieval effectiveness of keyword searching via two different modes. The findings have implications for subject access point enhancement on bibliographic records.
Multi-scale multi-lag channel estimation using low rank structure of received signal

Underwater acoustic channels are wideband time-varying channels, which can be well-described by a multi-scale multi-lag channel model. In this paper, a robust method to estimate the channel parameters from noisy measurements is proposed. The proposed method computes the multiple Doppler scales, delays, and channel attenuation gains corresponding to different propagation paths. In this work, we adapt a spectral line estimation algorithm with a low number of measurements and modest complexity to compute the unknown channel parameters. The performance of the proposed estimation strategy is investigated via numerical simulation and shows that our method has at least 5 to 10 dB improvement in signal-to-noise ratio over previously proposed methods. Index Terms— Underwater acoustic channels, Doppler scaling, Multiscale-Multilag channel, OFDM.
Information and Feedback Seeking in U.S. and British Human Resources Development and Training Settings

This survey-based study investigated information and feedback-seeking behavior in U.S. and British human resource development and training settings. It involved some 400 participants at two U.S. and three British universities and government agencies. Using self-and other-rating forms, the results indicated differences in perception of teaching styles and source, frequency, and usefulness of information regarding performance feedback and learning objectives. The study suggests that adult learners self-regulate in learning situations to a greater degree than instructors anticipate. The study has implications for the education and training of HRD instructors and trainers and adds to the knowledge base of instructional theory.
Gonadal function in two siblings with Fanconi's anemia.

2 siblings with Fanconi’s anemia, 1 male and 1 female, aged 22 and 24 years, respectively, were evaluated at the Johns Hopkins Hospital because of short stature and hypogonadism. Plasma levels of soma
Enhancing the Learning Value of Worked Examples [Educator's Corner]

There is an often-told story about a preacher who accompanied his sermon on the vices of alcoholic drinks by a demonstration. He took a few live worms and dropped one each in different bottles containing water, milk, fruit juices, and alcohol, whereupon only the worm dropped in alcohol stopped wiggling and died. The preacher expectantly looked towards the audience and asked them what lesson they learned from the demonstration. The old drunk in the back row raised his hand and offered, “If I drink alcohol, I will not have any worms in my stomach.”
ANALOG MOS VECTOR MULTIPLIERS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SYNAPSES IN ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS

All-MOS analog vector-vector multipliers are described and designed for the implementation of the linear multiplication between analog signals and analog synaptic weights in artificial neural networks (ANNs). Employing these multipliers, large-scale artificial neural networks can be implemented using fewer MOS transistors than are required by implementations employing the so-called Gilbert multiplier. PSPICE circuit simulations have been extensively executed in order to quantify the performance of these multipliers by measuring the following specifications: maximum percentage error, output offset, X or Y nonlinearity, X or Y feedthrough, small-signal bandwidth, and slew rate. An 11-dimensional analog vector multiplier has been designed on a 40-pin MOSIS TINYCHIP with analog pads using the MAGIC VLSI tools and has been fabricated using 2 μm CMOS n-well process via MOSIS.
Transferrin receptor-targeted theranostic gold nanoparticles for photosensitizer delivery in brain tumors

Therapeutic drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is not only inefficient, but also nonspecific to brain stroma. These are major limitations in the effective treatment of brain cancer. Transferrin peptide (Tfpep) targeted gold nanoparticles (Tfpep-Au NPs) loaded with the photodynamic pro-drug, Pc 4, have been designed and compared with untargeted Au NPs for delivery of the photosensitizer to brain cancer cell lines. In vitro studies of human glioma cancer lines (LN229 and U87) overexpressing the transferrin receptor (TfR) show a significant increase in cellular uptake for targeted conjugates as compared to untargeted particles. Pc 4 delivered from Tfpep-Au NPs clusters within vesicles after targeting with the Tfpep. Pc 4 continues to accumulate over a 4 hour period. Our work suggests that TfR-targeted Au NPs may have important therapeutic implications for delivering brain tumor therapies and/or providing a platform for noninvasive imaging.
Alcohol Dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster: Isozymes and Genetic Variants

Alcohol dehydrogenase, in Drosophila melanogaster homozygous for the alleles Adh(F) or Adh(S), is found in three electrophoretically different forms. Adh' differs from Adh(5) in that isozymes with faster electrophoretic mobilities are present. In Adh(F)/Adh(S) heterozygotes, hybrid isozymes as well as the parental isozymes are present, indicating that the dehydrogenase may exist as a dimer of two polypeptide subunits. The gene, Adh, is located on the second chromosome, with a map position of 50.1 and a cytological position between 34E3 and 35D1.
Glucose elevations alter bradykinin-stimulated intracellular calcium accumulation in cultured endothelial cells

Objective: Diabetes selectively injures receptor-mediated endothelium-dependent relaxation. In this study, we investigated the effect of elevated glucose concentrations on intracellular calcium (Ca2+i) signal transduction in response to stimulants of EDRF/nitric oxide release in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. Methods: [Ca2+i] was measured in cell suspensions using Fura-2 and fluorescence spectroscopy while nitric oxide production was evaluated using radioimmunoassay of cGMP production. Results: After 24 h exposure to 25 mM glucose in Ham's F-12 media, the increase in endothelial cell [Ca2+i] in response to 100 nM bradykinin was attenuated by 40% while the response to ionomycin was unaltered. When RMPI medium was used, no reduction in response to bradykinin was observed at 25 mM glucose, but a significant reduction in [Ca2+i] signal was observed after exposure to 35 mM glucose for a similar time period. Defective [Ca2+i] signaling was also seen in cells using MEM medium. [Ca2+i] signal responses to ionomycin and NaF, a G-protein activator of extracellular calcium entry via calcium channels, were unaltered by elevated glucose exposure. The defect in [Ca2+i] signal was not mimicked by either mannose or sucrose, but was prevented by co-incubation with cytochalasin B to inhibit glucose uptake. Neither superoxide dismutase nor catalase nor the extracellular hydroxyl radical scavenger, mannitol, blocked the reduction in the bradykinin-induced increase of [Ca2+i] in elevated glucose-exposed cells; however, the reduction was completely blocked by the cell-permeable hydroxyl radical scavenger, dimethylthiourea. Bradykinin-stimulated (but not ionomycin-stimulated) cGMP production within endothelial cells or in RFL-6 detector cells was attenuated by elevated glucose exposure. Conclusions: Hyperglycemia may contribute to defective endothelium-dependent relaxation in diabetes via an attenuated increase in Ca2+i signal transduction for the release of nitric oxide by endothelial cells. This defect possibly arises as a consequence of hydroxyl radicals formed intracellularly.
Friction Induced Lateral Vibrations of a Tape Moving in Contact With a Slewing Head

In dynamic systems, motion transfer due to frictional effects could result in quasi-harmonic oscillations and stick-slip, with potentially undesirable effects. The track-following motion of a read/write (RW) head-assembly transfers frictional forced onto the translating tape. This, in turn, has the potential to introduce unwanted dynamic motion into the system, and to affect the track following operation. In extreme cases the tape could stick onto the head-assembly, which could then create the potential for sudden release (slip) of the tape, if the restoring forces exceed the static friction forces. Due to longitudinal tape motion, stick is only a possibility during start-stop operations. However, with increasingly smoother tape, the effects of friction induced vibration (FrIV) could become problematic for the next generation of tape drives.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
A MINDO/3 study of the ethylene dication

Abstract MINDO/3 calculations are reported for the dication, CH ++ 2 4 derived from ethylene. Four minima, corresponding to species of similar energies, were located on the corresponding potential surface.
EXPORT MANAGEMENT COMPANIES: THE IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPING THE AMERICAN EXPORT TRADING COMPANY

The instability of the relationships which Export Management Companies have with their Manufacturer‐Suppliers is, perhaps, the most pressing problem which the EMCs have in their long‐term development as viable export marketing channel entities. Three different variables were empirically tested as possibly affecting the stability of EMC/M‐S relationships: (1) the “operating arrangement” which the EMC has with the M‐S; (2) whether or not the EMC “takes title” to products which it markets abroad; and (3) the size of a given M‐S's export sales generated by the EMC. All three variables were shown to affect the stability of the EMC/M‐S dyadic relationship.
The association between women's work, working conditions, and adverse pregnancy outcomes: A Review of the literature and directions for future research

Abstract This work reviews the international literature on the association between women's work, working conditions, and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and it makes recommendations for future research.
Theoretical analysis for intermediate band and tandem hybrid solar cell materials

The efficiency limit of an intermediate band (IB) solar cell can be increased by a “tandem” configuration of multiple intermediate band devices. Thermodynamic models show that the efficiency of a two-stack tandem of IB devices achieves the efficiency of a six junction series connected solar cell. The efficiency of an IB in conjunction with a single or double stack tandem has similar efficiency advantages. Further, analysis of the materials which can be used to implement IB solar cells in a tandem configuration shows advantages relating to the ability to implement IB materials with quantum wells or quantum dots. For a single IB solar cell, a key difficulty is identifying materials for the barrier and the quantum well which have a small valence band offset and large conduction band offset (or the reverse). The use of an IB solar cell as the bottom solar cell of a tandem allows a larger range of materials with suitable barrier band gaps and a smaller ideal conduction band offset. A further theoretical advantage of such a structure is that it avoids the extremely low open circuit voltages achieved from pn junctions in low bandgap materials; for example, the thermodynamic optimum for a 6 junction tandem solar cell has its lowest bandgap below 0.4 eV. We present a thermodynamic model for IB hybrid tandem configurations which does not assume spectral selectivity among the different solar cells and predicts that a barrier/quantum dot structure can have an efficiency as high as 60 to 70 percent at 1000X blackbody radiation.
Black Youth and Psychosocial Development

While there exists a massive literature on the characteristics and problems of black Americans, few studies exist which take as the main focus of attention the black adolescent or youth and the problem of psychosocial development. Moreover, while there has been considerable genuine interest and concern for the psychosocial developmental problems of black youth, there has been little actual systematic or theoretically guided research in this area (Pettigrew, 1964; Proshansky and Newton, 1968). Indeed, a perusal of that small corpus of research which does exist suggests that many of the more fundamental and significant questions have not even been broached, much less subjected to empirical investigation. For example, the way in which black youth "construct" or cultivate their identities through the use of others as models has been virtually ignored, despite evidence from psychological, clinical, and sociological studies on the
Forecasts in Urban Transportation Planning: Uses, Methods, and Dilemmas

Legislation and regulation require cities to prepare forecasts of patronage and cost when they compete for federal funds with which to build urban rapid transit systems. Experience shows that these forecasts routinely overestimate patronage and underestimate costs. The explanation for this phenomenon is to be found not in technical shortcomings in the forecasting methods, but in the fact that the forecasts are critically dependent on assumptions of key parameters. Assumptions are chosen to produce forecasts which justify projects favored on the basis of local politics. In an environment in which competition for funds is vigorous, effective advocacy becomes more important than objectivity in the use of forecasting methods. This paper reviews forecasting models widely used by transportation consultants, and shows how the models are manipulated in order to promote systems which have been chosen on the basis of political criteria.
Generation of Ecosystem Hotspots Using Short-Term Cattle Corrals in an African Savanna

Worldwide, many rangelands are managed for multiple uses, and it is increasingly important to identify livestock management practices that maximize rangeland productivity, biodiversity, and wildlife conservation. In sub-Saharan Africa, pastoralists and ranchers use temporary thorn-fence corrals (“bomas”) to protect livestock at night. Traditional boma sites (used for months or years, then abandoned) develop into productive ecosystem hotspots (“glades”) that attract diverse wildlife and persist for decades or even centuries. In central Kenya, livestock managers have recently begun using metal-fenced “mobile bomas,” which are moved after only days or weeks. Although the assumption is that mobile boma sites will also develop into glades, whether or not this is true remains unclear. We used a broad-scale manipulative experiment to evaluate the ecosystem-level effects of mobile bomas used for 1 month. We also investigated impacts of initial boma density on glade development. We randomly assigned 12 plots to one of three density treatments: one boma, two bomas 200 m apart, or two bomas 100 m apart. Before the experiment and at 1, 6, 12, 18, and 32 months after boma abandonment, we sampled soil nutrients, foliar nutrients, plant communities, and wildlife use (via dung counts) within abandoned boma sites (experimental glades) and at paired reference sites (200 m away). After 18 months, surface soil nutrient concentrations in experimental glades were similar to those in traditionally formed glades. Experimental glade plant communities became dominated by a palatable, rhizomatous grass species, Cynodon plectostachyus. After 32 months, wildlife use by browsing and mixed feeding ungulates was 9 times higher in experimental glades than at paired reference sites. Boma density had few impacts on within-glade development patterns. These results demonstrate that by concentrating livestock in short-term corrals, managers can create ecosystem hotspots that increase functional heterogeneity, attract wildlife, and provide palatable forage for livestock.
The Use of Sieves to Stabilize Images Produced with the EM Algorithm for Emission Tomography

Images produced in emission tomography with the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm have been observed to become more 'noisy' as the algorithm converges towards the maximum-likelihood estimate. We argue in this paper that there is an instability which is fundamental to maximum-likelihood estimation as it is usually applied and, therefore, is not a result of using the EM algorithm, which is but one numerical implementation for producing maximum-likelihood estimates. We show how Grenader's method of sieves can be used with the EM algorithm to remove the instability and thereby decrease the 'noise' artifact introduced into the images with little or no increase in computational complexity.
True Score Equating by Fixed b's Scaling: A Flexible and Stable Equating Alternative

Six methods of equating The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test scores were evaluated in terms of scale stability. True score item response theory (IRT) equating based on "Fixed b's" scaling, the current TOEFL operational scaling and equating procedure, was found to produce the least discrepant results when compared to two IRT models (b parame ter estimated, a and c parameters fixed; all three pa rameters reestimated), and to three conventional equat ing methods (Tucker, Levine, and equipercentile). The results for Fixed b 's scaling were limited by an inade quately fit item; but if such items can be identified prior to calibration, or if pretested data are observed to produce reliable estimates of total group data, then true score IRT equating based on scaling by fixing the b parameters of a set of pretested items may be a very acceptable option.
Some economic effects of the California agricultural labor relations act

The California Agricultural Labor Relations Act (CALRA) evolved in the 1970s because the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) excluded agricultural workers. CALRA effectively placed the United Farm Workers Union in a stronger bargaining position vis-a-vis farmers than the NLRA had done for industrial unions vis-a-vis nonfarm business firms. Society has suffered a net economic loss from CALRA and the events preceding its enactment. Since passage of the act, at least three effects have been verified: Relative to conditions that would otherwise have been expected to exist, consumers are facing higher prices; agricultural workers are earning lower wages; and landowners have suffered losses in land values.
Octadecyl Mercaptan Sub-monolayers on Silver Electrodeposited on Gold Quartz Crystal Microbalance Electrodes

The objective of this work is to accurately and reproducibly control the amount of alkanethiol self-assembled onto the surface of a gold quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) electrode. This reaction is the first step in preparing bilayer membranes on gold electrodes that contain cytochrome c oxidase. In this work procedures for cleaning the surface of gold QCM electrodes, including use of an oxygen plasma, a UV surface cleaner, and aggressive chemical treatment of the surface, still led to rates of octadecyl mercaptan (OM) self-assembly that were highly irreproducible, varying over several orders of magnitude in time. Electrodeposition of a silver monolayer onto the surface of gold QCM electrodes affords a surface at which the OM self-assembly reaction can be easily controlled. Using the QCM to monitor the self-assembly reaction of OM on the silver-coated gold QCM electrode surface, a selected sub-monolayer coverage can be reliably prepared in about 10 min.
Inflammation-associated regulation of the macrophage inhibitory cytokine (MIC-1) gene in prostate cancer

Macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1), also known as prostate-derived factor (PDF), is a molecule of the TGF-β superfamily and has been associated with the progression of various types of diseases including prostate cancer. Initially identified from activated macrophages, the MIC-1 gene may provide a potential link between inflammation and prostate cancer. In this context, we performed MIC-1 expression analysis using mouse prostate tissues to determine whether there was any correlation with age and inflammation. Reverse transcription PCR analysis on RNA samples isolated from prostate lobes from prostate-specific antigen transgenic mice of varying ages revealed that MIC-1 gene expression is extremely low to non-detectable in the prostate tissues obtained from young mice, while its expression increases in the prostate tissues harvested from elderly mice. Increased MIC-1 gene expression in the mouse prostate was found to be associated with an increased level of infiltrating lymphocytes. To confirm this observation, we showed that inflammation-associated cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α) significantly upregulate the secretion of the MIC-1 protein in a human prostate cancer cell line (LNCaP cells), while cytokines IL-6 and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor were less effective. Taken together, these data indicated that inflammation-associated cytokines may play a critical role in the functional regulation of the MIC-1 gene in the early stages of prostate cancer development. More studies are required to understand the biological activity of MIC-1 gene regulation in the development and progression of prostate cancer.
On the reversibility of alkene cyclozirconation

Abstract Diene 8, under cyclozirconation conditions, rapidly dimerizes to 10. This dimerization is reversible, slowly at room temperature and rapidly at 75°C. After equilibration, the dominant is 12, the product of intramolecular cyclozirconation.
Mouse Strain Differences in Oral Operant Ethanol Reinforcement under Continuous Access Conditions

The present experiment examined ethanol self-administration in C57BL/6J (C57) and DBA/2J (DBA) mice using a continuous access operant procedure. Adult male C57 and DBA mice were initially trained to perform a lever press response to obtain access to 10% w/v sucrose solution. Subsequently, the mice were placed in operant chambers on a continuous (23 hr/day) basis with access to food (FR1), 10% v/v ethanol (FR4), and water from a sipper tube. C57 mice displayed greater rates of responding on the ethanol-associated lever compared with DBA mice. Responding on the food lever was the same in both strains, but DBA mice consumed greater amounts of water. C57 mice consistently displayed both prandial and nonprandial episodes (bouts) of ethanol responding. DBA mice did not respond for ethanol in bouts. Following 50 consecutive sessions, ethanol concentration was altered every 5 days. Response patterns were determined using 0, 5, 10, 20, and 30% v/v ethanol concentrations. C57 mice displayed concentration-dependent responding on the ethanol lever showing that ethanol was functioning as an effective reinforcer in this strain. In contrast, responding on the ethanol lever by DBA mice did not change as a function of ethanol concentration. Saccharin (0.2% w/v) was subsequently added to the ethanol mixture, and responding was examined at 0, 5, 10, and 20% ethanol concentrations. Overall, ethanol lever responding was increased in both strains. As before, C57 mice showed higher levels of ethanol responding, compared with DBA mice. C57 mice also showed higher responding for saccharin alone. These results are consistent with findings that suggest orally administered ethanol is a more effective reinforcer in C57 mice than in DBA mice. Furthermore, C57 mice engage in ethanol-reinforced responding over a broader range of conditions than DBA mice.
Sildenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction affects more than 150 million men worldwide and is increasingly prevalent. Elderly men are at increased risk for erectile dysfunction, which is, in part, owing to medical comorbidities associated with erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil, the first US FDA-approved, oral phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor, has revolutionized the treatment of erectile dysfunction since its approval in 1998. High treatment success rates and low number of adverse events, in addition to significant improvements in psychosocial parameters, have resulted in increased patient and physician satisfaction with sildenafil, and increased usage. Safety has been demonstrated in patients with stable cardiovascular disease, and rates of discontinuation owing to adverse effects remains low.
The Evolution of Collective Strategies in Fragmented Industries

This article revises and expands the theory of collective strategy to include firms in fragmented industries. Collective strategy in fragmented industries may be less visible, but it is no less extensive than in concentrated industries because repetitive patterns of pairwise interorganizational activity can aggregate into emergent collective strategy. This implies that collective activity is a ubiquitous strategy, permeating all types of organizations in fragmented industries. The article offers a process model and a mechanism for aggregating pairwise activity into collective activity based on an extension of the prisoner’s dilemma game. A curvilinear relationship between environmental factors and cooperative behavior is proposed. Propositions suggest that the effects of cooperation on performance shift from the firm level to the population level as colonization is completed.
Semantic e-Science

Jim Gray described e-Science as where “IT meets scientists.” (Hey et al. 2009) Science has now fully entered this newmode of operation, which combines science, informatics, computer science, cyberinfrastructure and information technology. It has been six years since the special issue Geoscience Knowledge Representation in Cyberinfrastructure (Brodaric et al. 2009) appeared in the journal Computers & Geosciences. In the ensuing years e-Science has changed how science disciplines conduct both individual and collaborative work. It is time to once again review the state of eScience research. A special session was held at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2013 Fall Meeting. This special session, titled Semantically Enabling Annotation, Discovery, Access, and Integration of Scientific Data, hosted 25 presentations on current e-Science projects. We initiated this special issue by sending invitations to authors in the 2009 Computers & Geoscience special issue as well as the 2013 AGU presenters. Submission to this special issue was also open to everyone, and we were happy to have received manuscripts from authors across the world. This finalized special issue consists of 11 papers, which cover various subjects in Earth and environmental sciences, and demonstrate state-of-the-art technologies in knowledge representation, data interoperability, vocabulary and data services, and data processing.
Genetic characterization of highly inbred chicken lines by two DNA methods: DNA fingerprinting and polymerase chain reaction using arbitrary primers.

Summary Thirteen highly inbred chicken lines were analysed at the DNA level by DNA fingerprinting (DFP) and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using random primers. In general, the DFP patterns of individuals within a line were identical. The DFP band-sharing (BS) values among lines from different breeds (Leghorn, Fayoumi, Spanish) ranged from 0.10 to 0.20. The DFP BS values among Leghorn lines from different genetic backgrounds ranged from 0.42 to 0.79. The DFP BS values among lines selected for different major histocompatibility complex serotypes from a common genetic background ranged from 0.70 to 0.95. Some randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR products were specific to a single line, some to all lines from the same genetic base, and some to all lines from the same breed. The RAPD-PCR band-sharing values ranged from 0.66 to 0.99 for all between-line comparisons. Thus, the ability to detect biodiversity at the DNA level was greater in this study for DFP than for RAPD-PCR. The possible origin of line-specific bands, relative advantages of detecting biodiversity by using different molecular screening techniques and uses of highly inbred chicken lines in molecular analysis are discussed.