cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conflict style and cultural understanding among teachers in the western United States: Exploring relationships

Abstract Competent teachers are competent communicators who are able to build and sustain interpersonal relationships across culture and across conflict. The following study was designed to validate and extend prior research [Mahon, J. A. (2003). Intercultural sensitivity development of practicing teachers. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64 (7), 2353A (UMI No. 3097199); Mahon, J. A. (2006). Under the invisibility cloak? Teacher understanding of cultural difference. Intercultural Education, 17 (4), 391–407] that showed a majority of teachers had ethnocentric levels of intercultural sensitivity (ICS) as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) [Intercultural Communication Institute (ICI). (1999a). The intercultural development inventory . Portland, Oregon: Intercultural Communication Institute]. Qualitative data also suggested teachers with less sophisticated understandings of culture avoided intercultural conflict situations. The following research drew upon a sample of 88 teachers in the United States to examine possible relationships between ICS as measured by the IDI, and conflict style as measured by the Thomas–Kilmann Conflict Inventory (TKI) [Consulting Psychologies Press (CPP). (2002). Thomas – Kilmann Conflict Inventory . Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologies Press]. Results indicated the majority of teachers have ethnocentric understandings of culture, and preferred the Compromising conflict style, followed very closely by Avoiding and Accommodating. Further analyses revealed that degree of cooperativeness predicted levels of the dependent variable of ICS. Certain demographic variables shown to be important in prior ICS research were found to predict levels of the dependent variables.
Chronic toxicity of ocean-dumped pharmaceutical wastes to the marine amphipod Amphithoe valida

Abstract The toxic effects of ocean-dumped pharmaceutical wastes on a marine amphipod Amphithoe valida increased with increasing duration of exposure and waste concentration. Amphipods chronically exposed to waste concentrations ≥ 1% had lower survival rates and reduced fecundity when compared to control groups. The parent amphipods exposed to 3% waste had 100% mortality by week 3, while those exposed to ≤ 2% waste were able to survive over 2 months. Larvae (F1) of the treated amphipods survived shorter periods, 6 weeks for the 2% and 13 weeks for the 1% group. The total progeny produced by the treated amphipods (20/treatment) during the experiment dropped from 89 (F1) to 20 (F2) for the 1%, and from 26 (F1) to 1 (F2) for the 2% group. No offspring were recorded for amphipods exposed to 3% waste. For the corresponding period, the controls yielded 196 and 99 larvae respectively.
Development, Validation, and Application of a Fish-Based Index of Biotic Integrity for Wisconsin's Large Warmwater Rivers

Abstract We used fish assemblage data collected by daytime electrofishing during 1996–1999 from 155 main-channel-border sites on 30 large warmwater rivers in Wisconsin to construct, test, and apply an index of biotic integrity (IBI). Our goal was to develop an effective and rapid way to use fishes to assess the environmental quality of river ecosystems in the state. Fourteen sites were visited more than once for a total of 187 samples, 101 of which (randomly chosen) were used to develop the IBI and the remaining 86 to test it. Prior to sampling, sites were classified as “least impacted” or as affected by impoundments, daily “peaking” flows from hydropower dams, non-point-source pollution from the watershed, point source pollution from industrial and municipal discharges (within the last 35 years), or multiple human impacts. Of the 26 potential IBI metrics considered, 10 were chosen: the total weight of the catch (excluding tolerant species); the number of native, sucker, intolerant, or riverine specialist...
Assessing mussel shell diagenesis in the modern vadose zone at Lyon's Bluff (22OK520), Northeast Mississippi

Abstract This study considers the chemical alteration of archaeological freshwater shell above the water table at the Lyon's Bluff site (22OK520), a single-mound and village complex located in east-central Mississippi, and the changes in trace element concentrations between unfired and fired shell. Thin-section petrography, X-ray diffraction, cathodoluminescence, and scanning electron microscopy analyses were conducted on archaeological shell from four natural layers from Unit 20N20W, over a depth of 80 cm and spanning 450 years. ICP–MS analysis also was conducted on a modern freshwater shell subjected to kiln firing. Microscopy results indicate a pristine aragonite crystal structure in the archaeological samples. ICP–MS data show that certain trace elements within the modern shell maintain their concentration after firing at 500 °C. The broader implications are: 1) that diagenetic alteration does not hinder chemical sourcing of shell at Lyon's Bluff, and 2) that certain trace elements are more reliable than others, namely Sr 2+ , Al 2+ , Ba 2+ , and Mn 2+ , when conducting trace element provenance studies on fired-shell temper.
Subsurface Drain Losses of Water and Nitrate following Conversion of Perennials to Row Crops

Nitrate losses through subsurface drains in agricultural fields pose a serious threat to surface water quality. Substantial reductions in drainage losses of NO 3 -N can occur with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) or perennial grasses as used in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) plantings. Conversion of perennials to annual row crops, however, could have rapid, adverse affects on water quality. We evaluated water and N use efficiency of row crops following perennials, and losses of water and NO 3 -N to subsurface drains. Four cropping systems: continuous corn (Zea mays L.), a corn-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation, alfalfa (ALF), and CRP, were established in 1988. The ALF and CRP were converted to a corn-corn-soybean sequence from 1994 through 1996 while continuous corn (C-C) and corn-soybean (C-S) rotations were maintained. Following CRP, corn yield was 14% and water use efficiency (WUE) 20% greater as compared with C-C. Yield was 19% and WUE 21% greater for soybean following corn in CRP and ALF as compared with C-S. Residual soil NO 3 -N (RSN) increased 125% in first year corn following CRP and was 32% greater than C-C by 1996. High N uptake efficiencies of corn following alfalfa slowed the buildup of RSN, but levels were equal to row crop systems after 2 yr. Nitrate losses in drainage water remained low during the initial year of conversion, but were similar to row crop systems during the subsequent 2 yr. Beneficial effects of perennials on subsurface drainage characteristics were largely negated following 1 to 2 yr of corn.
Robust Fault Detection of a Robotic Manipulator

In this paper, a new robust fault detection technique for robotic manipulators is developed. The new approach, called robust nonlinear analytic redundancy (RNLAR) technique, detects both sensor and actuator faults in a robotic manipulator The proposed RNLAR technique can compensate for the effects of model-plan-mismatch (MPM) and process disturbance. A nonlinear primary residual vectors (PRV) design method to detect faults is proposed where the PRVs are highly sensitive to faults and less sensitive to MPM and process disturbance. Experimental results on a PUMA 560 are presented to justify the effectiveness of the RNLAR scheme.
“Carry the Fire”: McCarthy's Bullets as Shells of Life in a Post-Apocalyptic World

Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic novel The Road (2006) is drained of detail just as the world described in the text lacks specificity. Each place and each character remains intentionally vague. T...
Temperature limits on the early Archaean ocean from oxygen isotope variations in the Isua supracrustal sequence, West Greenland

FROM a reconnaissance survey of the oxygen isotope composition of a sequence of metamorphosed sedimentary rock units at Isua, West Greenland, it is possible to set wide temperature limits of ∼ 0–146 °C on the early Archaean ocean.
Changing On-Task, Off-Task, and Disruptive Pupil Behavior in Elementary Mainstreaming Classrooms

AbstractNine intermediate grade teachers were trained with the Utah State University Classroom Management Program while a comparable control group of eight teachers received no training. Observations of teacher use of the classroom management skills and pupil behavior were made before and after treatment. Teachers in the training program made significant improvements in about half of the classroom management skills. Ninety-nine pupils in experimental classrooms and 77 in control classrooms were observed. Pupils in experimental classrooms made significantly greater improvements in off-task and deviant behavior than control group pupils. Results differed for various handicapped and nonhandicapped pupil subgroups.
Superconductivity in the Presence of Short-Range Magnetic Order

Superconducting critical field curves have been measured for La98Lu2−xTbx alloys in a regime where the Tb ions show short-range magnetic order. The concentration dependence of the superconducting transition temperature and the critical field curves both show large deviations from the simple multiple pair-breaking theories and indicate the presence of substantial exchange fields. The onset of short-range order is very detrimental to superconductivity in this system.
Method of Selecting Preferred Baits and Rodenticides1

To conduct bait-choice tests, with species that will enter bait boxes, requires at least 10 bait boxes (25–40 cm long and about 20 cm deep) with openings at opposite corners, for exposing 3 to 5 trays of potential baits. Floors of boxes are dusted with a thin layer of talc or ground clay. The same boxes can be used to determine acceptance of the proven preferred bait treated with different rodenticides at different concentrations, except that different toxicants cannot be compared in the same box unless only chronic (multiple-feeding) anticoagulants are used. Tracking tunnels or stations can be used to obtain a relative pre- and post-control census of rodent populations. They are especially useful for determining whether there are survivors. If there axe survivors, the above non-toxic bait-acceptance tests and acceptance of prepared toxic bait tests must be repeated, for it is paramount to learn why the survivors were not poisoned.
Bit error rate performance analysis of an optical MSK heterodyne/synchronous receiver

The theoretical bit-error-rate performance analysis of an optical minimum-shift-keying (MSK) heterodyne/synchronous receiver is presented, taking into account the effect of imperfect phase references. The performance of the receiver is evaluated in terms of the laser linewidth requirements, receiver sensitivity, and loop bandwidth. It is shown that an intermediate-frequency (IF) linewidth of approximately 7.6*10/sup -4/ of the bit rate is required to avoid a power penalty of 1.0 dB with an RMS phase error of 0.144 rad. For a 2-Gb/s synchronous MSK, the system requires a laser linewidth of 1.52 MHz and a loop bandwidth of 348 MHz. >
Impairments due to nonlinearity and birefringence in optical transmission systems

Fiber nonlinearity provides for a difficult problem in optical fibre communication system design. System designers often treat nonlinearity as a set of penalties resulting from four wave mixing, self-phase modulation, and cross-phase modulation. The Brillouin effect, and the Raman effect can be assessed separately from each other and from noise and dispersion. In fact, the first three nonlinear effects mentioned, all of which stem from the Kerr effect, are tightly coupled to each other, and the separation of the Kerr effect into three separate effects is often ambiguous and can lead to wrong results. Additionally, the nonlinearity is coupled in a complex way to the noise and dispersion, so that a separate assessment of the penalties is usually unreliable.
Higher-order space charge field effects on the evolution of spatial solitons in biased photorefractive crystals

Summary form only given. Recently, photorefractive (PR) spatial optical solitons have been the focus of considerable attention. Of particular interest are the so-called screening solitons that occur in steady state when an external bias voltage is appropriately applied to a PR crystal. These soliton states are known to occur when the drift term dominates in the expression of the space charge field. In a recent study, the effects arising from first-order diffusion terms have also been investigated. It was found that the PR soliton can experience adiabatically self-deflection that varies linearly with the applied electric field. However, recent experiments suggest that this self-deflection can exceed that predicted by theory, especially in the regime of quite high bias fields. To account for this discrepancy, we investigate the effects of other higher-order electric field terms on the evolution of bright steady-state solitons in PR media.
Losartan Preserves Erectile Function After Bilateral Cavernous Nerve Injury via Antifibrotic Mechanisms in Male Rats

Purpose: Angiotensin II is a known mediator of smooth muscle vasoconstriction and fibrosis. It up-regulates thrombospondin-1, a major activator of latent transforming growth factor-β. Transforming growth factor-β induces vascular fibrosis via intracellular SMAD signaling pathways. We evaluated the effect of treatment with the angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist losartan on erectile function in the rat following bilateral cavernous nerve injury.Materials and Methods: A total of 36 adult male rats were divided equally into 6 groups, including group 1—sham surgery with cavernous nerve exposure only plus vehicle, group 2—sham surgery plus oral low dose losartan (10 mg/kg per day), group 3—sham surgery plus high dose losartan (40 mg/kg per day), group 4—bilateral cavernous nerve injury (3-minute crush using a hemostat clamp) plus vehicle, group 5—bilateral cavernous nerve injury plus low dose losartan and group 6—bilateral cavernous nerve injury plus high dose losartan. Seven days following surgery erect...
The multiple roles of theory: a reply to Gorelick

“Confusion exists because the term “theory” is used in reference to a variety of kinds of systems at different levels of specificity. Moreover, the nature of theory differs at each level. In this context, we recognize three levels of theory....A general theory does not make specific predictions. Rather, it provides the scaffolding on which the components of more specific, constituent theories are assembled and integrated....At the intermediate level are constituent theories, which set boundaries and identify parameters for particular interest, guiding model development....At the most specific level, models are instantiations of a constituent theory. At this level, predictions are formalized and causal understanding motivates the process.” (Scheiner and Willig 2008)
Is evolvability evolvable

The ability to evolve — evolvability — is important in determining the course of evolution. But does evolvability itself evolve, and how should we even agree on a definition of evolvability?
Confidence intervals for pulsed mass extinction events

Many authors have proposed scenarios for mass extinctions that consist of multiple pulses or stages, but little work has been done on accounting for the Signor-Lipps effect in such extinction scenarios. Here we introduce a method for computing confidence intervals for the time or stratigraphic distance separating two extinction pulses in a pulsed extinction event, taking into account the incompleteness of the fossil record. We base our method on a flexible likelihood ratio test framework that is able to test whether the fossil record is consistent with any extinction scenario, whether simultaneous, pulsed, or otherwise. As an illustration, we apply our method to a data set on marine invertebrates from the Permo-Triassic boundary of Meishan, China. Using this data set, we show that the fossil record of ostracodes and that of brachiopods are each consistent with simultaneous extinction, and that these two extinction pulses are separated by 720,000 to 1.2 million years with 95% confidence. With appropriate data, our method could also be applied in other situations, such as tests of origination patterns, coordinated stasis, and recovery after a mass extinction.
Parent Behavior Importance Questionnaire-Revised: Scale Development and Psychometric Characteristics

This paper reports the scale development and psychometric characteristics of the Parent Behavior Importance Questionnaire-Revised (PBIQ-R). To develop this measure, 502 subject matter experts (SMEs) evaluated 91 parenting behaviors in terms of parenting behavior specificity (e.g., bonding, discipline), importance level, and appropriateness for children of differing developmental stages (e.g., infant/toddler, adolescent). SME responses were used to develop the PBIQ-R and related subscales. The resulting 73 item measure provides a psychometrically strong avenue for determining respondents’ parenting behavior values. The measure and corresponding subscales are closely aligned with current parenting theory and developmental literature with respondents indicating the relative importance of a range of positive as well as negative parenting behaviors. Results suggest moderate to strong factor consistency, construct validity, and internal consistency. Findings are discussed relative to parenting theory and research as well as clinical, counseling, and school psychology practice.
Autologous transplantation for follicular lymphoma? Not too soon!

Comment on Sebban et al, page [2540][1] In this issue of Blood , Sebban and colleagues report the final results of a randomized study for newly diagnosed advanced follicular lymphoma comparing autologous transplantation with interferon maintenance. This is the last of 3 such studies to be reported
SEDIMENT ENTRAINMENT POTENTIAL IN MODIFIED ALLUVIAL STREAMS: IMPLICATIONS FOR RE-MOBILIZATION OF STORED IN-CHANNEL SEDIMENT

Alteration of sediment dynamics is a common effect of human disturbance in fluvial systems. The longevity of human-induced changes and the implications of altered sediment dynamics for system-wide responses to disturbance are not entirely understood. In this study, I calculated sediment entrainment potential (τbf/τcr) for the D50 particle measured for 34 reaches located in three alluvial streams currently adjusting to historic disturbance, including channelization and land clearance, that have large in-channel sediment storage features. Analysis of the spatial variability of τbf/τcr values within the three study streams suggests that most study reaches are located in active transport zones, with the exception of three reaches in two of the study streams that appear to be located within sediment storage zones. The results of this research suggest that there is great potential for in-channel sediment storage features to be reworked and to serve as secondary sources of sediment well into the future.
Reliability testing beyond Qualification as a key component in photovoltaic's progress toward grid parity

This paper discusses why it is necessary for new lower cost PV modules to be tested using a reliability test sequence that goes beyond the Qualification test sequence now utilized for modules. Today most PV modules are warranted for 25 years, but the Qualification Test Sequence does not test for 25-year life. There is no accepted test protocol to validate a 25-year lifetime. This paper recommends the use of long term accelerated testing to compare now designs directly with older designs that have achieved long lifetimes in outdoor exposure. If the new designs do as well or better than the older ones, then it is likely that they will survive an equivalent length of time in the field.
Back to Realistic Realism: Tripolarity and World War II

Deadly Imbalances: Tripolarity and Hitlerx0027;s Strategy of World Conquest, Randall L. Schweller (New York: Columbia University Press, 1998). 256 pp., cloth (ISBN: 0-231-11072-3), $49.50; paper (ISBN: 0-231-11073-1) $18.50. Book reviewed: Deadly Imbalances: Tripolarity and Hitler's Strategy of World Conquest , Randall L. Schweller
A New Template Matching Method using Variance Estimation for Spike Sorting.

The analysis of single unit recording data requires a spike sorting method to separate blended neuronal spikes into separate neuron classes. A new template matching method for spike sorting based on shape distributions and a weighted Euclidean metric is proposed. The data is first roughly clustered using a Euclidean distance metric. Then the Levenberg-Marquardt method is used to estimate the variances of the neuron classes using curve fitting on the clustered data. Finally, the weighted Euclidean distance method is applied to minimize errors caused by different variances. This method provides optimized template matching results when the neuron variances are considerably different
Hysteretic soil water characteristics and cyclic swell–shrink paths of compacted expansive soils

The investigation of the hydromechanical behavior of unsaturated expansive soil depends on the determination of hysteretic soil water characteristic curves (HSWCCs). This research investigates the HSWCCs of two natural expansive soils initially compacted at optimum moisture content (OMC) and maximum dry density (MDD) and then saturated to their maximum expansion state to ensure identical capillary history. Filter paper, pressure plate and chilled mirror hygrometer suction measurement techniques were utilized, and corresponding measurements of three-dimensional volume change made. The cyclic swell–shrink paths were deduced in terms of volumetric strain versus either water content or suction. The cyclic three-dimensional volumetric measurements showed a much higher amount of swelling and shrinkage than those determined from one-dimensional measurements. Hydraulic hysteresis rapidly decreased with the swell–shrink cycles as a result of macro-structural stabilization. Under the no/low confining conditions, the swell–shrink cycles generally caused a decrease of global expansion and an increase of global shrinkage. Moreover, a special phenomenon showing a reduction of global shrinkage on significant drying was discovered in the less plastic soil sample.
Dissociated Pathways for Successful Memory Retrieval from the Human Parietal Cortex: Anatomical and Functional Connectivity Analyses

The parietal cortex has traditionally been implicated in spatial attention and eye-movement processes. Recent functional neuroimaging studies have found that activation in the parietal cortex is related to successful recognition memory. The activated regions consistently include the intraparietal sulcus in the lateral parietal cortex and the precuneus in the medial parietal cortex. However, little is known about the functional differences between lateral and medial parietal cortices in the memory retrieval process. In this study, we examined whether the human lateral and medial parietal lobes have differential anatomical and functional connectivity with the temporal lobe. To this end, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to constrain the analysis of anatomical connectivity obtained by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Both DTI tractography and functional connectivity analysis showed that the lateral parietal region has anatomical and functional connections with the lateral temporal lobe, and the medial parietal region has connections with the medial temporal lobe. These results suggest the existence of segregated lateral and medial parieto-temporal pathways in successful memory retrieval.
Deriving knowledge from figures for digital libraries

Figures in digital documents contain important information. Current digital libraries do not summarize and index information available within figures for document retrieval. We present our system on automatic categorization of figures and extraction of data from 2-D plots. A machine-learning based method is used to categorize figures into a set of predefined types based on image features. An automated algorithm is designed to extract data values from solid line curves in 2-D plots. The semantic type of figures and extracted data values from 2-D plots can be integrated with textual information within documents to provide more effective document retrieval services for digital library users. Experimental evaluation has demonstrated that our system can produce results suitable for real-world use.
Hemolysis After Mitral Valve Repair

A54-year-old woman, status post–mitral valve repair for severe mitral regurgitation secondary to mitral valve prolapse, was admitted 7 weeks after surgery with shortness of breath and fatigue. Hematological studies revealed a Coomb’s-negative hemolytic anemia with a hematocrit of 17.1%, haptoglobin of <7.9 mg/dL (normal 51 to 192 mg/dL), LDH of 3165 U/L, total bilirubin of 6.8 mg/dL (indirect of 6.1 mg/dL), and a peripheral blood smear demonstrating mechanical hemolysis with schistocytosis and red cell fragmentation (arrows, Figure⇓, A). A transesophageal echocardiogram revealed partial dehiscence of the mitral valve annuloplasty ring …
The Sales Aspect of Engineering Presentations

Marketing presentations can convince external clients to award a contract to the presenting engineering firm. Presentations to internal clients can result in the approval of a project or a purchase. Because persuasive presentations are crucial to engineering firms, individuals who create these presentations can benefit from investigating illustrations and text suitable for slide content. Appropriately incorporated sales techniques can reinforce visual and verbal information.
Determinants of brand switching: the role of consumer inferences, brand commitment, and perceived risk

Previous research in the area of price discounts has generated a rich, but diverse and mixed body of literature. This research examines the role of consumer's brand commitment and product category risk in influencing the nature as well as valence of the inferences generated by consumers in response to price discounts. Our results provide insights regarding how consumers' responses to competitor inducements vary depending upon their brand commitment for the incumbent brand and perceived risk. Furthermore, we show that higher commitment consumers could resist an inducement from a competitor when they are able to generate negative, marketer-related inferences. Our research suggests that consumers' inferences are critical than pure economic benefits in determining the effectiveness of discounts.
Vesicular Transport of Fluid Phase Markers by Hepatocytes

Endocytosis is a general term which refers to the internalization of extracellular material via invagination of a portion of the plasma membrane, which then pinches off to form a vesicle. The ability to internalize extracellular material is a property shared by most, if not all, animal cells. Hepatocytes are actively endocytic and internalize a variety of specific ligands, including asialoglycoproteins, low-density lipoproteins, and IgA, via a process called receptor-mediated endocytosis (Ashwell and Harford 1982; Goldstein et al. 1979; Renston et al. 1980). Certain ligands, such as asialoglycoproteins and low-density lipoproteins, are transported predominantly to lysosomes via receptors which recycle to and from plasma membrane and participate in many rounds of endocytosis before ultimately being degraded. Other receptors, such as the receptor for IgA, do not recycle, but instead escort their ligands to bile. A third pathway involves the recycling of intact receptor-ligand complexes back to the cell surface. This appears to occur to a variable degree for a variety of receptors and ligands and is characteristic of the interaction between transferrin and its receptor. Despite this considerable body of information regarding the endocytosis of ligands, relatively little is known regarding the role of transcellular vesiclar transport in canalicular bile formation, the rate at which hepatocytes endocytose extracellular fluid, or the mechanism by which fluid phase markers commonly used in studies of bile formation (e. g., erythritol, sucrose) are transported into the canaliculus. We therefore undertook a series of studies in both perfused rat liver and cultured hepatocytes with the overall objective of characterizing and quantitating rates and pathways of hepatic fluid phase endocytosis.
A Statistical Evaluation of Error Detection Cyclic Codes for Data Transmission

Error data from about 350 hours of 1200-baud data transmission tests are used to evaluate cyclic error detection codes. For polynomials of low degree ( 4,000 digits) is such that a Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem polynomial requires an excessive number of check digits when its period exceeds the block length. In this case, codes aimed at burst detection are considered superior. A figure of merit is defined and used as one of the criteria for polynomial selection. This figure is obtained, on the basis of these tests, for primitive, LRC, multiplex, fire, and other polynomials. For a typical error detection and retransmission system, transmission efficiency, turn-around time, and number of check digits are related to the data obtained from the tests.
Current status and future trends in silicon power devices

Overall, power semiconductors are very much alive and well. Silicon dominates the field with a high quality R&D effort and manufacturing workforce supported by an extensive infrastructure. Much of this success can be linked to the numerous desirable material properties of silicon. These include the presence of a native oxide with low interface state density, reasonable values for hole and electron mobilities, a high critical electric field, high carrier lifetimes, and finally, good thermal conductivity. Other materials, for example SiC and GaN, are superior to silicon in some of these properties. This has led to product applications where a particular need dominates the application. For example, SiC has a higher critical field vs. silicon. This permits the design of 600V SiC Schottky diodes that are superior to their silicon counter parts, whether it is a p-n junction or a Schottky diode. Because such developments enhance the overall industry, we should encourage them. Nevertheless, it seems that power semiconductors will continue to be dominated by silicon for the next few decades.
The terminal loop region controls microRNA processing by Drosha and Dicer

microRNAs are widely expressed, ∼22-nt-long regulatory RNAs. They are first transcribed as much longer primary transcripts, which then undergo a series of processing steps to yield the single-stranded, mature microRNAs, although the mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we show that the terminal loop region of human primary microRNA transcripts is an important determinant of microRNA biogenesis. Mutations that restrain the terminal loop region inhibit Drosha processing of primary microRNA transcripts as well as Dicer processing of precursor microRNA transcripts in vitro. The inhibition may result from lower enzyme turnover on the mutant transcripts. Consequently, the mutations reduce miRNA maturation in transfected human cells. We conclude that a flexible terminal loop region is critical for microRNA processing.
Deciphering the Blood Glucose Puzzle with Pattern Management Skills

Diabetes educators are expected to educate patients in many aspects of self-care. Often blood glucose records are the end results of self-care behavior, which is multi-factorial. When evaluating blood glucose records, multiple aspects of patient behaviors are essential for assessing patterns and explanations of abnormal glucose results. Too often providers focus on just one aspect, typically medication dose, instead of considering all the other factors that affect the glucose level. Asking questions about what, how, and when the patient is eating, exercising, or taking their medications may lead the diabetes educator to discover the missing link in self-care. Using a systematic approach to evaluate your patient’s blood glucose records is critical in determining the appropriate therapeutic options for diabetes care.
The rise of incompetence

We should be enjoying a golden age of competence. We have access to so much information. YouTube videos show us how to do almost anything. And there are impressive achievements: Automobiles run more efficiently and last longer; products are rapidly distributed worldwide. Nevertheless, there is a sense that the world isn’t running that smoothly. Inept governments and poor service are common. Financiers whose ruinous actions led to worldwide recession didn’t lose their jobs. In HCI, many nod when Don Norman says, “UI is getting worse—all over.” How could incompetence be on the rise when knowledge and tools proliferate?
GE-42INTEGRATED RADIOGRAPHIC AND PHYLOGENETIC CASE STUDY OF A PRIMARY AND CONTRALATERAL RECURRENT GLIOMA

Extensive neuropil invasion is a hallmark of glioma growth and a subset of tumors demonstrate recurrence in the contralateral hemisphere without a path of tumor spread detected by MR imaging. We used an integrated genomic and radiographic approach to study a patient with a right nonenhancing insular mass histologically diagnosed as IDH1/2 wild-type anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) and a punctate nonenhancing T2 hyperintense focus within the left middle frontal gyrus subcortical white matter. Follow-up MR imaging, six months after initiation of Temozolomide based chemoradiotherapy, demonstrated focal enhancement within the left middle frontal gyrus lesion. Six months later a rim enhancing centrally necrotic mass involving left frontal lobe white matter was observed and diagnosed as glioblastoma. Whole exome sequencing of both tumors and targeted Sanger sequencing of 7-9 samplings from each tumor identified a novel five amino acid in-frame insertion in the PTEN C2 domain in both tumors that potentially disrupts cell membrane interaction and activates phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling. As wild-type PTEN inhibits cellular migration, this early PTEN mutation might also promote invasion and the seeding of metastatic foci remote from the initial tumor mass. The right insular AA harbored amplifications of EGFR, MDM4 and PDGFRA (amplified and mutated) that were not detected within the contralateral glioblastoma. Conversely, the glioblastoma acquired CDKN2A homozygous deletion, probable NF1 biallelic inactivation (mutation and heterozygous loss), and a second hit to PTEN (heterozygous loss). Thirty-six shared mutations (including PTEN) and two shared copy number alterations unequivocally indicate a common origin for these spatially and temporally separated tumors. Taken together, these integrated radiographic and genomic data strongly suggest that the cells seeding the left frontal lobe tumor migrated from the evolving right insular tumor at an early time point and then followed an independent evolutionary trajectory.
Caste differentiation inAugochlorella (Hymenoptera, Halictidæ)

The presence of two castes, the egglayers or queens and the nonegglayers or workerlike females, is demonstrated inA. striata andA. persimilis although the castes are poorly defined. One or more queens may be present in a nest during the spring, at which time all individuals of the colony may perform all nesting activities including the collecting of pollen for the cells. After the first brood has emerged in June, there is only one egglayer per colony, and this individual, although continuing to guard and build cells, does not collect pollen. The other females of the colony, although frequently mated, rarely lay eggs but do carry on all other nesting activities. The queens and nonegglaying females differ in size averaged over the season, but there are no gross morphological differences between the two castes.
Relationship between the Eastern Han Dynasty's Wiping out "Chengjia" and "Tu Chengdu" and Liu Chan's Surrender without Fighting

One of important reasons for Liu Chan's surrender without fighting is the lesson from the Eastern Han Dynasty's Wiping out "Chengjia" and "Tu Chengdu",which protected common people of Bashu.
The influence of comorbid major depression and substance use disorders on alcohol and drug treatment: results of a national survey.

The co-occurrence of alcohol use disorders, drug use disorders, and major depression has frequently been reported in alcoholic, drug abuse, and psychiatric patient samples (Allen and Francis 1986; Demilio 1989; El-Guebaly 1990; Ross et al. 1988; Rounsaville et al. 1982). Significant associations between substance use disorders and major depression have also been found in general population surveys (Regier et al. 1990; Robins et al. 1988; Weissman and Meyers 1980), but the magnitude is much lower than that reported in clinical samples. This suggests that people with comorbid substance use disorders and major depression may be more likely to seek alcohol or drug treatment than those without such comorbidities. However, to date, no studies have examined the impact of comorbidity on alcohol or drug treatment in the population of greatest clinical and policy relevance, that is, among those persons with an alcohol use disorder or drug use disorder not found in the treated population.
Immune Responses to Viruses in the CNS

For recovery from infection, the immune response in the central nervous system (CNS) must eliminate or control virus replication without destroying nonrenewable, essential cells. Thus, upon intracellular virus detection, the infected cell must initiate clearance pathways without triggering neuronal cell death. As a result, the inflammatory response must be tightly regulated and unique mechanisms contribute to the immune response in the CNS. Early restriction of virus replication is accomplished by the innate immune response upon activation of pattern recognition receptors in resident cells. Infiltrating immune cells enter from the periphery to clear virus. Antibodies and interferon-γ are primary contributors to noncytolytic clearance of virus in the CNS. Lymphocytes are retained in the CNS after the acute phase of infection presumably to block reactivation of virus replication.
Quasi-periodicities in the anomalous emission events in pulsars B1859+07 and B0919+06

A quasi-periodicity has been identified in the strange emission shifts in pulsar B1859+07 and possibly B0919+06. These events, first investigated by Rankin, Rodriguez & Wright in 2006, originally appeared disordered or random, but further mapping as well as Fourier analysis has revealed that they occur on a fairly regular basis of approximately 150 rotation periods in B1859+07 and perhaps some 700 in B0919+06. The events-which we now refer to as "swooshes"-are not the result of any known type of mode-changing, but rather we find that they are a uniquely different effect, produced by some mechanism other than any known pulse-modulation phenomenon. Given that we have yet to find another explanation for the swooshes, we have appealed to a last resort for periodicities in astrophysics: orbital dynamics in a binary system. Such putative "companions" would then have semi-major axes comparable to the light cylinder radius for both pulsars. However, in order to resist tidal disruption their densities must be at least some 10$^5$ grams/cm$^3$-therefore white-dwarf cores or something even denser might be indicated.
A System Dynamics Approach to Process Evaluation of Pen-Based Digital Media-Making Projects

This chapter explains a systematic way of conducting process evaluation of pen-based digital media-making projects using system dynamics modeling. The study aimed to understand student and teacher experiences and changes in behavior while engaged in the digital media-making process. Data was collected at a pen-based digital media-making summer program held at Pepperdine University’s Los Angeles and Ventura County campuses. After transcribing and coding raw data using grounded theory, the authors generated causal loop maps. The study indicated that the production of videos depends on both the students’ and teachers’ engagement in the digital media-making process. Active engagement of teachers and students improved the quality of the learning environment. The use of system dynamics allowed us to see the flaws and unique aspects within the digital making process.
Mild depletion of multiple B-vitamins alters Wnt-signaling and decreases apoptosis in the mouse colon.

Fifth AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, Nov 12-15, 2006 A221 Epidemiological studies suggest that diminished folate status increases the risk of colorectal carcinogenesis. Biochemical functions of folate are inter-dependent on adequate availability of several other B-vitamins that participate in 'one-carbon metabolism', including vitamins B2, B6 and B12. Aberrancies in the Wnt pathway, including epigenetic and mutational silencing events, are thought to play an important mechanistic role in human colorectal cancers. The tumor suppressor effect of the APC protein in Wnt pathway is thought to be largely mediated through an increase in colonocyte apoptosis. This study therefore investigated if combined mild depletion of folate and vitamins B2, B6 and B12 could induce alterations in the Wnt pathway and apoptosis in the colonic mucosa. One hundred and eight 4-month old C57BL/6J mice were pair-fed one of six diets for 10 wks: folate sufficiency (2 mg/kg), mild folate depletion, or folate depletion combined with mild inadequacies of vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and/or vitamin B12. Vitamin status in the blood confirmed that mild, but significant, inadequacies of folate, vitamins B2, B6, and B12 were successfully induced in the corresponding groups. Genomic DNA hypomethylation and DNA strand breaks within the APC mutation cluster region were significantly induced ( p ≤ 0.05) by mild folate depletion combined with inadequacies of B2, B6, and B12; such effects were not significantly induced by folate depletion alone or folate combined with depletion of one other vitamin. Similarly, minor changes in the expression of APC and β-catenin produced by mild folate depletion alone were significantly magnified by the combined depletion of all of the abovementioned B-vitamins, resulting in a 5-fold decrease in APC mRNA and 2-fold increase in β-catenin protein expression (P ≤ 0.01); amplification of the effects were noted with some of the doublet deficiencies as well. A significant decrease in colonocyte apoptosis was observed only in the multiple vitamin depletion group ( p ≤ 0.05) when compared to the folate sufficient group. These findings indicate that a mild depletion of folate that is of insufficient magnitude by itself to induce Wnt pathway alterations or a decrease in epithelial apoptosis may produce such effects when present in conjunction with mild inadequacies of other one-carbon nutrients. The observations underscore the potential impact that 'subclinical' depletion of B-vitamins may have when they act in concert with one another.
The Family Gap in Pay: New Evidence for 1967 to 2013

This paper provides new evidence on the family gap in pay—the differential in hourly wages between women with children and women without children—between 1967 and 2013, five decades that include important changes in women’s employment, especially mothers’ employment, policy reforms as well as contrasting economic cycles. We use data from the Current Population Survey and adjust for selection into motherhood, by estimating ordinary least square models and (as a robustness check) applying augmented inverse probability of treatment weighting, using the standard doubly robust estimator. For women overall, we find a decline in the family gap over this period from 6 percent in 1967 and 1968 to about 1 percent in 2011 through 2013. However, results vary by marital status, education, race-ethnicity, immigration status, temporal flexibility, and occupation. The most striking difference we find is between mothers who are married and those who are not. The family gap declined for married mothers and was replaced by a positive wage differential in the most recent period, whereas for unmarried mothers, a wage gap persisted throughout the two decades, rising to a notable high of 10 percent in 1996 through 1998.
Communicating through Thick Boundaries: The Case of Informing National Policy Making

Organizations increasingly face competitive and security threats that require better intelligence to guide action. National policy makers face an especially pressing need for intelligence, and rely on complex, diverse information from many sources in monitoring their environment. The primary formal information system for conveying knowledge to government leaders is the system of national intelligence briefings, which collects data from a global network of analysts that is presented by a briefer to individual government leaders, in a short daily session. The quantity of information created by intelligence analysts far exceeds the capacity of a policy maker to assimilate, and the briefer has severe time restrictions for assembling and communicating the daily briefing. In this important, yet highly constrained setting, our exploratory research question is: ?How does the briefer experience communication with policy makers, and how does the briefer act to ensure that the information produced by intelligence analysts is useful to and understood by policy makers?? We conducted a qualitative study of boundary spanning dyad chains reaching from field analysts to policy makers at high levels in the United States federal government, and found: (1) a low degree of shared context between significantly different social and professional worlds; (2) a four-phase communication pattern crossing multiple boundaries, multiple times; and (3) a common 3-step embedded structure within the communication pattern in which the briefer tried to create shared meaning. Despite the extreme setting, we propose that the 3-step embedded structure our subjects enacted can be applied to improving communication for any manager across a wide range of thick boundaries in profit, non-profit and government boundary spanning contexts.
Exploring Japanese consumers’ cultural meanings and consumption of American fashion

AbstractThe purpose of this research is to explore how Japanese consumers perceive American fashion and how this perception is related to the purchase of American fashion products based on Consumer Culture Theory. For this research, cultural meanings of American fashion in Japanese fashion market were collected and analyzed using a thematic analysis method through Japanese consumers’ online postings and discussions. Results showed Japanese consumers perceived American fashion to (1) be economical/causal and lack fashion sense, (2) have different fashion trends for celebrities and general population, and (3) be individualistic without obvious fashion trends. This research also found Japanese consumers preferred American fashion for four reasons: (1) preference for American casual fashion styles, (2) emulation of existing styles of American celebrities, (3) availability of styles and sizes for non-regular Japanese body size, and (4) unique fashion styles rare in the Japanese fashion market. On the other han...
Multilingual Connotation Frames: A Case Study on Social Media for Targeted Sentiment Analysis and Forecast

People around the globe respond to major real world events through social media. To study targeted public sentiments across many languages and geographic locations, we introduce multilingual connotation frames: an extension from English connotation frames of Rashkin et al. (2016) with 10 additional European languages, focusing on the implied sentiments among event participants engaged in a frame. As a case study, we present large scale analysis on targeted public sentiments toward salient events and entities using 1.2 million multilingual connotation frames extracted from Twitter.
“My dad, the deacon:” Assessing the personality of married Catholic clergy fathers as predictor of number and gender of children

Catholic deacons with children (N = 1,776: M number of children = 3.3), termed here “clergy dads,” completed the HEXACO-60, social desirability, and demographic variables. Personality dimensions pr...