cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maintaining Quality While Expanding Our Reach: Using Online Information Literacy Tutorials in the Sciences and Health Sciences

Abstract Objective – This article aims to assess student achievement of higher-order information literacy learning outcomes from online tutorials as compared to in-person instruction in science and health science courses. Methods – Information literacy instruction via online tutorials or an in-person one-shot session was implemented in multiple sections of a biology (n=100) and a kinesiology course (n=54). After instruction, students in both instructional environments completed an identical library assignment to measure the achievement of higher-order learning outcomes and an anonymous student survey to measure the student experience of instruction. Results – The data collected from library assignments revealed no statistically significant differences between the two instructional groups in total assignment scores or scores on specific questions related to higher-order learning outcomes. Student survey results indicated the student experience is comparable between instruction groups in terms of clarity of instruction, student confidence in completing the course assignment after library instruction, and comfort in asking a librarian for help after instruction. Conclusions – This study demonstrates that it is possible to replace one-shot information literacy instruction sessions with asynchronous online tutorials with no significant reduction in student learning in undergraduate science and health science courses. Replacing in-person instruction with online tutorials will allow librarians at this university to reach a greater number of students and maintain contact with certain courses that are transitioning to completely online environments. While the creation of online tutorials is initially time-intensive, over time implementing online instruction could free up librarian time to allow for the strategic integration of information literacy instruction into other courses. Additional time savings could be realized by incorporating auto-grading into the online tutorials.
Association of red cell distribution width with all-cause and cardiovascular-specific mortality in African American and white adults: a prospective cohort study.

While the mortality rate is declining in the United States, the life expectancy gap among different population groups suggests a need to identify biomarkers to improve early identification of individuals at risk. Red cell distribution width (RDW), a measure of anisocytosis, is an emerging biomarker of chronic disease morbidity and mortality, particularly in the elderly. However, little is known about its association with mortality risk in younger adults. The objectives of this study were to investigate the association between RDW and overall and cause-specific mortality risk, and to identify novel determinants of RDW level. We used prospectively collected data from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study conducted in Baltimore, Maryland. At baseline (2004–2009), the study recruited 3720 African American and white men and women aged 30–64 years. Participants provided peripheral venous blood for RDW measurement as part of complete blood count, and genotyping. Mortality status was ascertained using the National Death Index database through December 31, 2013. Multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models were fitted to assess mortality risk, and multiple linear regression models to identify determinants of RDW level. Participants’ mean age was 48.1 (9.2) years. Of 2726 participants included in the present analyses, 57% were African Americans, and 56% were women. After 18,424 person-years of follow-up time, there were 226 deaths, and the leading cause of death were cardiovascular diseases (31.9%). Participants in the highest quartile of RDW had a 1.73-fold increased all-cause mortality risk (highest quartile vs. lowest quartile, multivariable adjusted hazard ratio = 1.73, 95% confidence interval: 1.10–2.74, p-trend = 0.006). This effect was significantly modified by body mass index (p-interaction = 0.004). Similar risk was observed for cardiovascular disease-specific mortality. Independent of body mass index, waist-hip ratio and illicit drug use were significantly associated with RDW. Elevated RDW was associated with a substantial risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease-specific mortalities that was modified by body mass index. Central obesity and illicit drug use influence RDW level. In vulnerable populations at-risk for health disparities, RDW could provide a useful and inexpensive biomarker of mortality.
Efficacy of a massive transfusion protocol for hemorrhagic trauma resuscitation.

Abstract Objectives New paradigm shifts in trauma resuscitation recommend that early reconstitution of whole blood ratios with massive transfusion protocols (MTP) may be associated with improved survival. We performed a preliminary study on the efficacy of MTP at an urban, Level 1 trauma center and its impact on resuscitation goals. Methods A case-control study was performed on consecutive critically-ill trauma patients over the course of 1 year. The trauma captain designated patients as either MTP activation (cases) or routine care without MTP (controls) in matched, non-randomized fashion. Primary outcomes were: time to initial transfusion; number of total units of packed red blood cells (pRBC) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfused; and ratio of pRBC to fresh frozen plasma (pRBC:FFP). Secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, and length of stay. Results Out of 226 patients screened, we analyzed 58 patients meeting study criteria (32 MTP, 26 non-MTP). Study characteristics for the MTP and non-MTP groups were similar except age (34.0 vs. 45.85 years, p = 0.015). MTP patients received blood products more expeditiously (41.7 minutes vs. 62.1 minutes, p = 0.10), with more pRBC (5.19 vs 3.08 units, p = 0.05), more FFP (0.19 vs 0.08 units, p Conclusions MTP resulted in clinically significant improvements in transfusion times and volumes. Further larger and randomized studies are warranted to validate these findings to optimize MTP protocols.
“Fluff,” affect, and the circulation of feeling

Social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter, are now considered primary sources for newsgathering, especially among young people (Mathew Ingram 2015; Regina Marchi 2012; Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch and...
Grounding the professional skepticism construct in mindset and attitude theory: A way forward

Abstract The concept of professional skepticism is pervasive throughout auditing standards, and inspectors around the globe often identify a lack of skepticism as a root cause of audit deficiencies (IFIAR, 2015, 2016). Despite its importance, the professional skepticism construct remains ill-defined and measurements used in research do not map well into practice. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptualization of professional skepticism that will facilitate the conduct of research with meaningful implications for practice, providing a way forward for skepticism researchers. To that end, we propose a dual conceptualization of professional skepticism as both a mindset and an attitude, and we rely on mindset and attitude theory to develop measures of each component. Mindsets drive cognitive processing, and the mindset component captures the critical thinking that is an important element of professional skepticism and is required by standards. Including the mindset component reflects the idea that skepticism involves critical analysis of evidence, and not just doubt. Attitudes include affective and cognitive components to predict intentions and behavior, and attitudes recognize the influence of social factors on evaluative judgments. Including an attitude component thus expands the notion of evaluation to include auditors' feelings, as well as their beliefs, about risk, and it improves the predictive power of “skepticism” for auditors' evidence collection. We expect that our skeptical mindset and skeptical attitude theoretical approach will move the literature forward, especially in terms of framing standards, developing interventions to improve audit quality, and performing root cause analyses.
Photon Statistics, Antibunching and Squeezed States

Since the pioneering experiment by Hanbury Brown and Twiss1 and the developments in the quantum description of the electromagnetic radiation field initiated by Glauber2 and Sudarshan3 the field of photon statistics and correlation has gained increasing attention. Today some applied techniques based on light correlation measurements are well established, e.g., in astronomy4 and diagnostics of particle motion.5 One of the frontiers in present research is concerned with nonclassical properties of the radiation field referred to in the literature as photon antibunching and squeezed states. In the following discussions we attempt to describe the status and address future prospects of experiments on these phenomena.
Photosensitization in a Light Scattering Medium

In essentially all photosensitized processes in biology, the chromo- phores are embedded in a turbid tissue matrix. When collimated light enters tissue, light scattering leads to a loss of the initial directionality and spreading, accompanied by internal reflections at layer interfaces and energy absorption by chromophores. As a consequence, conventional measurements of transmission and reflection are inapplicable owing to the loss of collimation. The determination and analysis of optical parameters in turbid media require special experimental and analytical methods. Current research in tissue optics has been directed towards calculating the macroscopic optical constants from diffuse transmission and reflection measurements. Approximational theories of light propagation in turbid media have been employed, including the early two- flux model of Kubelka and Munk (1931), multi-flux models (Welch et al., 1987), various forms of the diffusion approximation to radiative transfer (Ishimaru, 1978), and Monte Carlo simulation (Bonner et al., 1987). The results have led to radiant flux profiles within samples of specified geometries (e.g, Welch et al., 1987), absorption spectra of weak chromophores (e.g, Norris and Butler, 1961), and dosimetry models for phototherapy procedures (e.g., Doiron et al., 1983; Pratesi at al., 1984; Grossweiner 1986; Profio and Doiron, 1987). Relatively little attention has been given to the effects of light scattering on the rate of a photosensitized chemical reaction in a turbid medium, which might provide a link to biological photosensitization in tissue. In recent work, Grossweiner and Messina (1987) investigated the photoinactivation of a colorless enzyme, subtilisin Carlsberg, by methylene blue in the presence of polystyrene microspheres. The results were analyzed with a simplified form of the diffusion approximation applicable to optically dense, highly scattering layers. The present paper is an extension of that work, in which the same data are correlated with other theoretical models and compared. The results show that the simpler models leading to analytical expressions for the power absorption are adequate for this dye-scatterer system.
Historical Overview of the \(\phi ^4\) Model

We provide an historical overview the \(\phi ^4\) model, placing it in the broad context of general KG theories and reviewing its applications to physics. While we will mention briefly other variants of the KG theory, we will focus chiefly on the history of the one-space, one-time dimensional [(1+1)D] degenerate minimum \(\phi ^4\) theory that is the central topic of this book. We will also compare this theory to other nonlinear Klein–Gordon equations, in particular, to the celebrated sine-Gordon theory. We review in some detail the history of the interrelated dynamical problems of kink-antikink scattering, contrasting \(\phi ^4\) and other non-integrable models with sine-Gordon and the search for a possible “breather” solution to \(\phi ^4\) in the continuum limit. Our discussion is intended to set the stage for more detailed expositions in the later chapters.
Distributed Swarm Antenna Arrays for Deep Space Applications

It is desirable to develop a high Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP), autonomous, distributed, reconfigurable, on-demand Ka/X-band transmit-antenna array using small satellites, for deep-space communication (Mars and beyond). Our work shows that a distributed, free-flying swarm array composed of N CubeSats can not only be phased to provide a coherent beam in Ka/X-band, with performance (mass, power, data rate) comparable to the state-of-the-art Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), but with N large, higher performance and data rates can be achieved, assuming a proper intra-swarm metrology system is in place.
Racial disparities in brachytherapy administration and survival in women with locally advanced cervical cancer.

Abstract Objective Black women have the highest incidence and mortality from cervical cancer in the United States. This study evaluated whether racial disparities in the receipt of brachytherapy (BT) for locally advanced cervical cancer mediate survival differences by race using the National Cancer Database. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed using 16,116 women with stage IB2-IVA cervical cancer treated from 2004 to 2014. Women who did not receive external beam radiation therapy, those with unknown survival data or stage, and those status post hysterectomy or pelvic exenteration were excluded. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate factors associated with BT use. Using a propensity score adjusted model with inverse probability treatment weighting, adjusted hazard ratios for overall survival were calculated, including an interaction term between BT and race. Results Of 16,116 patients, 19.2% were black and 55.8% received BT. Black women were significantly less likely to receive BT (AOR 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.79–0.96, p = 0.007) and had worse all-cause mortality (median survival 3.9 years [95% CI 3.6–4.6] versus 5.2 years [95% CI 4.9–5.5] for non-black women, p Conclusions Black women with locally advanced cervical cancer are less likely to receive brachytherapy, which mediates survival differences by race. Improving access to brachytherapy may improve overall survival.
β-Carbonic anhydrases

Abstract β-Carbonic anhydrases (β-CAs) are a diverse group of zinc metalloenzymes that are found in plants, eubacteria, algae, and archaea. These enzymes are structurally similar and catalyze the interconversion of CO2 and H2O to HCO−3 and H+. These enzymes are known to be essential for the growth of various microorganisms at different concentrations of CO2 and are the only CA class that displays allosteric regulation. This chapter will summarize the distribution, biochemistry, structural features, and allosteric regulation of β-CAs.
Identification and fine mapping of a major QTL, qHD19, that plays pleiotropic roles in regulating the heading date in rice

As a food consumed by more than half of the world’s population, rice (Oryza sativa) has always been a hot spot in plant science research. The three most important agronomic traits of rice, the yield, plant height, and flowering time, are controlled by many quantitative trait locus (QTLs). In this study, a newly identified QTL, qHD19, was found to be controlled by a single recessive gene. Using two populations with chromosome segment substitutions, qHD19 was narrowed to a 22.5-kb region containing three putative genes, one of which encoded a ZOS5-02-C2H2 zinc finger protein. This gene was regarded as the qHD19 candidate. Further analysis showed that the amino acid sequence encoded by the qHD19 gene included two amino acid mutations, (84): lysine (L) replaced by phenylalanine (F), and (169): alanine (A) replaced valine (V), and these mutations are expected to significantly alter the functions of the protein. Additionally, the CSSL87 and CSSL88 lines containing the qHD19 gene not only exhibited a shorter plant height but also exhibited a higher yield, which showed that the qHD19 gene presents good application prospects in rice breeding. Taken together, these data indicate that qHD19 probably plays an important role in the signaling network of photoperiodic flowering as well as the regulation of plant height and yield potential.
Accommodations in a University Model® School: An Examination of Policies and Practices Addressing Student Needs for Families Considering a Blended Educational Setting.

Students attending a University-Model® school participate in a hybrid approach to education which combines homeschooling with private education. This allows parents a primary role in their child(re...
How old is too old? In vivo engraftment of human peripheral blood stem cells cryopreserved for up to 18 years - implications for clinical transplantation and stability programs

How old is too old? In vivo engraftment of human peripheral blood stem cells cryopreserved for up to 18 years - implications for clinical transplantation and stability programs
The intersection of religion and mental well-being amongst African-American women

A qualitative research study was conducted to understand the meaning of religion in the lives of African-American women and how it connected to their mental well-being. Stories of women in their da...
Divergence in Aerobic Capacity Impacts Bile Acid Metabolism in Young Women.

Liver adaptations may be critical for regular exercise and high aerobic capacity to protect against metabolic disease, but mechanisms remain unknown. Bile acids (BAs) synthesized in the liver are bioactive and can putatively modify energy metabolism. Regular exercise influences BA metabolism in rodents, but effects in humans are unknown. This study tested whether female subjects screened for high aerobic capacity (Hi-Fit, n = 19) [peak oxygen consumption (Vo2peak) ≥45 mL·kg-1·min-1] have increased hepatic BA synthesis and different circulating BA composition compared with those matched for age and body mass with low aerobic capacity (Lo-Fit, n = 19) (Vo2peak ≤35 mL·kg-1·min-1). Diet patterns, activity level, stool, and blood were collected at baseline before participants received a 1-wk standardized, eucaloric diet. After the 1-wk standardized diet, stool and blood were again collected and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed to assess insulin sensitivity and postprandial BA response. Contrary to our hypothesis, serum 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (C4), a surrogate of BA synthesis, was not different between groups, whereas Hi-Fit women had lower fecal BA concentrations compared with Lo-Fit women. However, Lo-Fit women had a higher and more sustained rise in circulating conjugated BAs during the OGTT. Hi-Fit women showed a significant post-OGTT elevation of the secondary BA, lithocholic acid (a potent TGR5 agonist), in contrast to Lo-Fit women where no response was observed. A 1-wk control diet eliminated most differences in circulating BA species between groups. Overall, the results emphasize the importance of using a standardized diet when evaluating BAs and indicate that regular exercise and aerobic capacity modulate BA metabolism under postprandial conditions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Women with contrasting exercise and aerobic capacity levels show clear differences in bile acid (BA) metabolism. Women with low aerobic capacity (Lo-Fit) have increased circulating conjugated BAs post oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), whereas women with high aerobic capacity (Hi-Fit) display a transient increase. Hi-Fit women show an increase in the secondary BA, lithocholic acid, during the OGTT not seen in Lo-Fit women. Differences in circulating BA species between Hi- and Lo-Fit women possibly contribute to differences in insulin sensitivity and energy regulation via different signaling mechanisms.
Superwomen and Sleep: an Assessment of Black College Women Across the African Diaspora.

Women and racial/ethnic minority groups in the U.S. report poor sleep health. While stress and alcohol use may contribute to sleep problems, few studies have examined the roles of stress and alcohol use on sleep among Black college women. Gender-racial ideology of Black womanhood may also play a role in sleep. This exploratory study sought to examine the relationships between stress, alcohol, ethnic-gender identity, and sleep. Guided by the biopsychosocial model and intersectionality theory, a cross-sectional study design recruited undergraduate women (18–24 years) attending a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) who self-identified as Black (N = 110). Participants completed the Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Perceived Stress Scale, Alcohol Use Disorders Test, and Giscombe Superwoman Schema Questionnaire. Univariate and multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine independent and multiple effects of stress, alcohol, and ethnic-gender identity on insomnia and sleep quality. Participants (mean age 19.4 years) represented diverse ethnic groups, 53% American, 25% African, and 20% Caribbean. Nearly 23% reported moderate to severe levels of insomnia. Scores from the Perceived Stress Scale, the Alcohol Use Disorders Test, and the Giscombe Superwoman Schema Questionnaire were independently associated with insomnia and sleep quality. In multivariate analyses, only perceived stress exhibited a significant association with insomnia and sleep quality. This exploratory study demonstrated that stress, excessive alcohol use, and ethnic-gender identity have relational impact on sleep health. Yet, stress may have greater importance and further research is needed to explore factors that mediated the relationship between stress and sleep.
Employee Responses to Compensation Changes: Evidence from a Sales Firm

What are the long-term consequences of compensation changes? Using data from an inbound sales call center, we study employee responses to a compensation change that ultimately reduced take-home pay...
Phosphate Balance and CKD-Mineral Bone Disease

Chronic kidney disease–mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) is a common comorbidity in patients with CKD. Characterized by laboratory abnormalities, bone abnormality, and vascular calcification, CKD-MBD encompasses a group of mineral and hormone disturbances that are strongly associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Abnormal serum phosphate concentrations are an independent risk factor for CV morbidity and mortality, and overall mortality. Phosphate retention plays a central role in initiating and driving many other disturbances in CKD-MBD (e.g., increased parathyroid hormone and fibroblast growth factor 23 concentrations, hypocalcemia, low vitamin D) that are also linked to increased CV risk. Thus, effective phosphate control is a logical therapeutic target for CKD-MBD treatment. Current phosphate management strategies (dietary restrictions, dialysis, phosphate binders) are insufficient to consistently achieve and maintain target phosphate concentrations in patients on dialysis. Phosphate binders reduce available phosphate for intestinal absorption but do not impair the dominant phosphate absorption pathway. Novel therapies that consider new mechanistic understandings of intestinal phosphate absorption are needed. One such therapy is tenapanor, a targeted sodium-hydrogen exchanger isoform 3 inhibitor that has been shown to reduce serum phosphate concentrations in multiple clinical trials. Tenapanor has a novel mechanism of action that reduces intestinal phosphate absorption in the primary paracellular phosphate absorption pathway.
Using an Automated Algorithm to Identify Potential Drug-Induced Liver Injury Cases in a Pharmacovigilance Database.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the most frequent cause of acute liver failure in North America and Europe, but it is often missed because of unstandardized diagnostic methods and criteria. This study aimed to develop and validate an automated algorithm to identify potential DILI cases in routine pharmacovigilance (PV) activities. Post-marketing hepatic adverse events reported for a potentially hepatotoxic drug in a global PV database from 19 March 2017 to 18 June 2018 were assessed manually and with the automated algorithm. The algorithm provided case assessments by applying pre-specified criteria to all case data and narratives simultaneously. A total of 1456 cases were included for analysis and assessed manually. Sufficient data for algorithm assessment were available for 476 cases (32.7%). Of these cases, manual assessment identified 312 (65.5%) potential DILI cases while algorithm assessment identified 305 (64.1%) potential DILI cases. Comparison of manual and algorithm assessments demonstrated a sensitivity of 97.8% and a specificity of 79.3% for the algorithm. Given the prevalence of potential DILI cases in the population studied, the algorithm was calculated to have positive predictive value 56.3% and negative predictive value 99.2%. The time required for manual review compared to algorithm review suggested that application of the algorithm prior to manual screening would have resulted in a time savings of 42.2%. An automated algorithm to identify potential DILI cases was developed and successfully implemented. The algorithm demonstrated a high sensitivity, a high negative predictive value, along with significant efficiency and utility in a real-time PV database.
Simple screening model for identifying the risk of sleep apnea in patients on opioids for chronic pain: an infographic.

Chronic pain patients taking opioids are at higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) than the general population. Fifty million people in the USA have chronic pain and 20% of these patients are on opioids. Of these chronic pain patients on opioids, 59% had undiagnosed sleep apnea and 30.8% of
Is Capital Punishment Unconstitutional? And Even If We Think it is, Should We Want the Supreme Court to so Rule?

Whether a law (or other policy) is unconstitutional is one question; whether the Supreme Court (in an appropriate case) should rule that the law is unconstitutional is a different question. Contemporary constitutional theorists are virtually unanimous in ignoring the analytic space between the two questions. That a law is unconstitutional does not entail that the Supreme Court should rule that the law is unconstitutional. In this paper - a revised version of which will be my contribution to a symposium issue of the Georgia Law Review honoring Professor Milner Ball - I explain why we should conclude that capital punishment violates the cruel and unusual punishments clause. (I am inclined to think that we are all originalists now; in any event, my explanation presupposes an originalist conception of constitutional interpretation - although, to be sure, *not* Antonin Scalia's misconceived originalist conception of constitutional interpretation.) I also explain, however, why the Supreme Court (probably) should not rule that capital punishment is unconstitutional.
Sinai-Ruelle-Bowen Measures for Lattice Dynamical Systems

For weakly coupled expanding maps on the unit circle, Bricmont and Kupiainen showed that the Sinai-Ruelle-Bowen (SRB) measure exists as a Gibbs state. Via thermodynamic formalism, we prove that this SRB measure is indeed the unique equilibrium state for a Holder continuous potential function on the infinite dimensional phase space. For a more general class of lattice systems that are small perturbations of the uncoupled map lattice, we present the variational principle, the entropy formula, and the formula for the potential function for the SRB measures. For coupled map lattices with nearest neighbor interactions, we give an explicit formula of the potential function for the SRB measure and consequently, obtain the entropy in terms of coupling parameters.
Health Law’s Coherence Anxiety

Academic health law is often said to suffer from a law of the horse problem, or, more particularly, to lack various dimensions of theoretical coherence. In conventional legal academic discourse, the coherence ideal prioritizes a cluster of attributes, all of which health law lacks: sparse conceptual singularity, a reductionist focus on particular legal forms, institutional centralization, and historical determinism and orderly development of a legal field. Health law is a singularly poor fit with this traditional model of field coherence. It is a mishmash of various legal forms, applied by divergent and often colliding institutions, and has developed much more often through external pressures and even historical accidents than from any determinate internal evolution or refinement. This alleged theoretical deficiency has troubled many of the academy's leading health law scholars, who have endeavored to identify one or more foundational principles around which to center and unify the field.This essay argues that the quest for classical coherence as applied to health law is both quixotic and misplaced. Not all legal fields cohere to the same degree, or fit within the same off-the-rack conception of coherence. To a great extent the standard paradigm of field coherence, and the organization of the twentieth-century legal academy itself, reflect contested historical choices that ought not be applied uncritically to developing fields of study. Moreover, the very attributes that cause health law to flunk the classical coherence standard themselves represent fruitful avenues of scholarly focus. For instance, the fact that health law coheres not around reducible elements of legal form but rather around a set of primary interests and relationships protected by an inconsistent jumble of law invites close theoretical inspection of those foundational interests themselves. That such interests are protected and mediated by multiple and occasionally conflicting institutions is a feature that itself is partially field-defining and opens up promising avenues for comparative analysis from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. Finally, the fact that health law is a creature of history - and a history that is contested, uncertain, and nonlinear in its development over time - ought to invigorate rather than demoralize scholarship, inviting the kind of complex interdisciplinary study of legal change that has lately brought fresh insight to other fields such as constitutional law and torts. In sum, the dimensions of health law that distance it from the classical coherence paradigm - its mix of legal forms, its institutional multiplicity, its permeability to external political pressures and change over time - are themselves generalizable features worthy of detailed scholarly examination.
Criteria for the recognition of acid-precipitated halite

Modern acid and neutral saline lakes in Western Australia are an excellent natural laboratory for testing how pH affects halite, and for developing criteria for distinguishing past acid saline waters from past neutral saline waters in the rock record. This study characterizes and compares physical, chemical and biological features in halite precipitated from acid (pH 1AE 7t o 4 AE2) and neutral (pH 6AE 8t o 7 AE3) saline lakes in southern Western Australia. Supplemental data include synthetic halite grown from acid and neutral saline solutions, as well as halite deposited in Permian acid lakes. Although physical processes of halite growth are not affected by pH, there are differences in the colour, accessory minerals, fluid inclusions and microfossils between acid and neutral halites. Acid lake halite commonly is yellow or orange in colour; neutral lake halites examined in this study are always snow white. Acid halites tend to contain abundant sulphate and iron oxide minerals, both as solid inclusions and as solids within fluid inclusions; neutral halites contain little, if any, sulphates and no iron oxides. Acid fluid inclusion freezing/melting behaviours include characteristics that differ from neutral fluid inclusion behaviours, such as lower eutectic temperatures, higher and wider temperature range of hydrohalite rims with a definable fuzzy border and more complex metastable phases. Acid halite contains ‘hairy blobs’, clusters of bacterial/archaeal/fungal remains and sulphate crystals, which are not found in halite from neutral lakes. This distinct assemblage of features characteristic of modern acid lake halites may serve as informal criteria for the recognition of past acid lake evaporites in the rock record.
Effects of Molecular Length on Nematic Mixtures

Abstract The properties of nematic liquid-crystal mixtures of 4-alkoxyphenyl trans-4-alkylcyclohexane-carboxylates are studied as a function of temperature and their average molecular length (L). Mixtures are prepared with clearpoints near 72° C (±3° C) and with [Lbar] varying between 21.20 and 26.15 A. At 25° C, their flow viscosity increases exponentially (from 16.3 to 50.6 cP) as [Lbar] increases. The conductivity anisotropy (σ∥/στ) also varies tremendously, decreasing from 1.62 to 0.49 as L increases, when compared at 25° C with tetrabutylammonium tetraphenylboride as dopant. The low values of σ∥/στ and its temperature dependence indicate that cybotatic nematic characteristics occur when the average total number of alkyl carbons from both end groups is 8.5 or more. Short range smectic effects are dominant in the longer mixtures. All of the mixtures have a negative dielectric anisotropy, which linearly becomes less negative with increasing L. At 25° C, dynamic scattering (DS) is observed only in the sh...
Behavior-friendly graphics

Interactive autonomous and directable characters require certain architectural support such as a motor system which moves the character based on decisions made by the behavior system. While previous work has focused on these higher-level systems, we focus on the infrastructure provided by the graphics system. We describe how a graphics system designed with synthetic characters in mind can be behavior friendly, simplifying motor and behavior system construction and making new characters easier to create. The system described in this paper was the underlying support for "Swamped!", an interactive 3D cartoon demonstrated in the Enhanced Realities section of SIGGRAPH 98. We describe how our design and implementation allowed us to achieve real-time performance in this Java application.
The Oxford Handbook of the Russian Economy by Michael Alexeev and Shlomo Weber, eds.

There are some books that every person teaching about Russian politics and the Russian economy must possess. This is one of them. The book attempts to examine as many different aspects of the Russi...
OCD-Like Behaviors Caused by a Neuropotentiating Transgene Targeted to Cortical and Limbic D1+ Neurons

To study the behavioral role of neurons containing the D1 dopamine receptor (D1+), we have used a genetic neurostimulatory approach. We generated transgenic mice that express an intracellular form of cholera toxin (CT), a neuropotentiating enzyme that chronically activates stimulatory G-protein (Gs) signal transduction and cAMP synthesis, under the control of the D1 promoter. Because the D1 promoter, like other CNS-expressed promoters, confers transgene expression that is regionally restricted to different D1+ CNS subsets in different transgenic lines, we observed distinct but related psychomotor disorders in different D1CT-expressing founders. In a D1CT line in which transgene expression was restricted to the following D1+ CNS regions-the piriform cortex layer II, layers II-III of somatosensory cortical areas, and the intercalated nucleus of the amygdala-D1CT mice showed normal CNS and D1+ neural architecture but increased cAMP content in whole extracts of the piriform and somatosensory cortex. These mice also exhibited a constellation of compulsive behavioral abnormalities that strongly resembled human cortical-limbic-induced compulsive disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These compulsive behaviors included episodes of perseverance or repetition of any and all normal behaviors, repetitive nonaggressive biting of siblings during grooming, and repetitive leaping. These results suggest that chronic potentiation of cortical and limbic D1+ neurons thought to induce glutamatergic output to the striatum causes behaviors reminiscent of those in human cortical-limbic-induced compulsive disorders.
Growth and morphogenetic factors in bone induction: role of osteogenin and related bone morphogenetic proteins in craniofacial and periodontal bone repair.

Bone has considerable potential for repair as illustrated by the phenomenon of fracture healing. Repair and regeneration of bone recapitulate the sequential stages of development. It is well known that demineralized bone matrix has the potential to induce new bone formation locally at a heterotopic site of implantation. The sequential development of bone is reminiscent of endochondral bone differentiation during bone development. The collagenous matrix-induced bone formation is a prototype model for matrix-cell interactions in vivo. The developmental cascade includes migration of progenitor cells by chemotaxis, attachment of cells through fibronectin, proliferation of mesenchymal cells, and differentiation of bone. The bone inductive protein, osteogenin, was isolated by heparin affinity chromatography. Osteogenin initiates new bone formation and is promoted by other growth factors. Recently, the genes for osteogenin and related bone morphogenetic proteins were cloned and expressed. Recombinant osteogenin ...
The association between actual and perceived flood risk and evacuation from Hurricane Irene, Beaufort County, North Carolina

Hurricane evacuation orders are often issued by local governments for individuals living in flood-prone areas, but adherence to these orders is dependent on many factors, including an accurate perception of risk. One month after Hurricane Irene made landfall, interviews were conducted with 205 households in Beaufort County, NC, to assess the association between perceived and actual risk of flooding and evacuation. Crude and adjusted prevalence differences were calculated among households within areas of known flood risk. Households in the 100- and 500-year flood plain were more likely to evacuate than those in non-flood areas prior to Hurricane Irene, but perceived risk was not associated with evacuation, even after adjustment. Perceptions of flood risk did not align with actual risk of flooding in the majority of respondents. Actual flood risk is an important environmental cue in the construction of risk perception and in the decision to evacuate prior to hurricanes.
Experiments on the sputtering of neutral Cu2 dimers from Cu by Ar+ ions (60–300 eV)

Abstract A planar polycrystalline copper target was bombarded normally by Ar + ions with energies ranging from 60 to 300 eV. in the source of a mass spectrometer. The neutral particles sputtered normally from the target were post-ionized and analyzed in the mass spectrometer. A thermionically sustained, magnetically confined low pressure arc plasma was used to supply the bombarding ions, and for post-ionization of the neutral sputtered species. It was found that the relative yields of the sputtered neutral post-ionized Cu 2 dimers are linearly proportional to S 2 , where S is the total sputtering yield for Ar + -Cu. The results support the recombination model for the formation of neutral dimers in sputtering.
Time Preference and Life Cycle Consumption with Endogenous Survival

We provide a structural theory of time preference and derive a functional form of intertemporal preferences by postulating that individuals make their life-cycle consumption choices as if to maximize expected lifetime. This yields a nontime-separable expected utility representation where the inverse of the coefficient of intertemporal substitution exceeds the coefficient of relative risk aversion. The rate of time preference depends on the inverse of expected remaining lifetime and the effect of age on the productivity of consumption in affecting health. The preference formulation is applied in a standard intertemporal consumption model to illustrate the implied life-cycle consumption choices.
Design and Operational Performance of Crossover Displaced Left-Turn Intersections:

Although the concepts of the crossover displaced left-turn (XDL) intersection (also called the continuous flow intersection) were developed approximately four decades ago, there is no simplified procedure to evaluate its traffic performance and to compare this intersection with conventional intersections. Several studies have shown the qualitative and quantitative benefits of the XDL intersection without providing accessible tools for traffic engineers and planners to estimate average control delays and queues. Modeling was conducted on typical geometries over a wide distribution of traffic flow conditions for three different design configurations or cases using VISSIM simulations with pretimed signal settings. Some comparisons with similar conventional designs showed considerable savings in average control delay, as well as average queue length and increase in intersection capacity. The statistical models provided an accessible tool for the practitioner to assess average delay and average queue length fo...
Companions of Post-Common Envelope sdB Binaries

Preliminary results are presented from two ongoing complementary surveys intended to investigate the nature and characteristics of the optically invisible secondaries in post-common envelope subdwarf B (sdB) binary stars. We obtain precise radial velocities to derive periods and minimum companion masses for bright field sdB stars. These data are combined with light curves to search for eclipses, reflection effects, or ellipsoidal variations. We emphasize the importance of using complete unbiased samples, without which it will not be possible to understand the details of the multiple processes that produce these stars.
Why haven't bald men gone extinct?

Even as we get to grips with the biology of baldness, the shiny pate remains a real evolutionary mystery
Face Recognition Using Multiple Classifiers

In this paper, we propose a near real-time effective face recognition system for consumer applications. Since the nature of application domain requires real time result and better accuracy, it poses a serious challenge. To address this challenge, we study various classification techniques, namely, support vector machine (SVM), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and K nearest neighbor (KNN). We observe that although KNN is as effective as SVM but KNN prohibits its usage due to high response time when data is high dimensional. To speed up KNN retrieval we propose a feature reduction technique using Principle component analysis (PCA) to facilitate near real time face recognition along with better accuracy. We apply KNN after we reduce the number of features by PCA. Hence, we test various classification approaches, namely, SVM, KNN, KNN with PCA, LDA, and LDA with PCA on a benchmark dataset and demonstrate the effectiveness of KNN with PCA over SVM and LDA.
Applications of Zr-Catalyzed Carbomagnesation and Mo-Catalyzed Macrocyclic Ring Closing Metathesis in Asymmetric Synthesis. Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Sch 38516 (Fluvirucin B1)

The first enantioselective total synthesis of antifungal agent Sch 38516, also known as fluvirucin B1, is described. The synthesis includes a convergent asymmetric preparation of amine 17 and acid 18, which are then united to afford diene 62. Metal-catalyzed transformations play a crucial role in the synthesis of the latter moiety. Of particular note are the diastereo- and enantioselective Zr-catalyzed alkylations, a tandem Ti- and Ni-catalyzed process that constitutes a hydrovinylation reaction, and a Ru-catalyzed alcohol oxidation to afford carboxylic acid 18. The requisite carbohydrate 38 is synthesized in a highly diastereo- and enantioselective fashion. Optical purity of the carbohydrate moiety arises from the use of the asymmetric dihydroxylation method of Sharpless; diastereochemical control is achieved through a selective dipolar [3 + 2] cycloaddition with a readily available amine serving as the chiral auxiliary. Union of the appropriately outfitted carbohydrate 71 and diene 62 through an efficie...
Solving jigsaw puzzles by computer

An algorithm to assemble large jigsaw puzzles using curve matching and combinatorial optimization techniques is presented. The pieces are photographed one by one and then the assembly algorithm, which uses only the puzzle piece shape information, is applied. The algorithm was experimented successfully in the assembly of 104-piece puzzles with many almost similar pieces. It was also extended to solve an intermixed puzzle assembly problem and has successfully solved a 208-piece puzzle consisting of two intermixed 104-piece puzzles. Previous results solved puzzles with about 10 pieces, which were substantially different in shape.
Through the looking glass: talking about the world with visualization

Data visualization has historically been accessible only to the elite in academia, business, and government. It was "serious" technology, created by experts for experts. In recent years, however, web-based visualizations--ranging from political art projects to news stories--have reached audiences of millions. What will this new era of data transparency look like--and what are the implications for technologists who work with data? To help answer this question, we report on recent research into public data analysis and visualization. Some of our results come from Many Eyes, a "living laboratory" web site where people may upload their own data, create interactive visualizations, and carry on conversations. We'll also show how the art world has embraced visualization. We'll discuss the future of visual literacy and what it means for a world where visualizations are a part of political discussions, citizen activism, religious discussions, game playing, and educational exchanges.