cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detecting spatial dynamics of range expansions with geo-referenced genomewide SNP data and the geographic spectrum of shared alleles

Uncovering the spatial dynamics of range expansions is a major goal in studies of historical demographic inference, with applications ranging from understanding the evolutionary origins of domesticated crops, epidemiology, invasive species, and understanding species-level responses to climate change. Following the surge in advances that make explicit use of the spatial distribution of genetic data from geo-referenced SNP variants, we present a novel summary statistic vector, the geographic spectrum of shared alleles (GSSA). Using simulations of two-dimensional serial expansion, we find that the information from the GSSA, summarized with Harpending Raggedness Index (RI), can accurately detect the spatial origins of a range expansion under serial founder models, even with sparse sampling of only ten individuals. When applying to SNP data from two species of the holarctic butterfly genus Lycaeides , the suggested origins of expansion are consistent with hindcasts obtained from ecological niche models (ENMs). These results demonstrate the GSSA to be a useful exploratory tool for generating hypotheses of range expansion with genome-wide SNP data. Our simulation experiments suggest high performance even with sampling found in studies of non-model organisms (one sampled individual per location, no outgroup information, and only 5,000 SNP loci).
Greater early epinephrine rise with head-up posture: A marker of increased syncope susceptibility in vasovagal fainters.

Background Head-up tilt (HUT) is widely used for diagnostic evaluation of patients with suspected vasovagal syncope (VVS), but also offers an opportunity to study VVS pathophysiology. In this regard, it is known that plasma epinephrine (Epi) levels and Epi/norepinephrine (NE) ratio are markedly increased from baseline at the time of HUT-induced VVS. However, whether these changes contribute to VVS susceptibility remains uncertain. Objective We hypothesized that if catecholamines contributed to VVS directly, then a greater increase of plasma Epi and Epi/NE ratio early during HUT would be associated with shorter time to syncope. Methods The patient population comprised 33 individuals (14 men, 43 ± 2 years) with suspected VVS in whom 70° HUT reproduced symptoms. Arterial Epi and NE concentrations were collected at baseline (supine) and 2 minutes of HUT. Linear, exponential, and multiple regression were used to access the association between changing catecholamine levels and time to syncope. Results Mean ± SD time to positive HUT was 11 (7.6) minutes. Higher plasma Epi levels (pg/mL) both at baseline and at 2 minutes upright correlated with shorter time to syncope (baseline, R = -0.35, P = 0.048; and 2 minutes, R = -0.58, P = 0.001). Similarly, a greater Epi/NE ratio at 2 minutes head-up correlated with earlier time to syncope (R = -0.49, P = 0.007). These relationships remained significant after adjusting for age and sex (P = 0.006 and 0.02, respectively). Conclusion Greater Epi levels and Epi/NE ratio early during HUT were associated with shorter time to VVS, suggesting a possible contribution to VVS susceptibility.
Using a Self-Instructional Package to Train Groups to Implement Reinforcement Strategies

We trained six special education staff members in groups of three to conduct differential reinforcement of alternative and differential reinforcement of other behavior procedures using a self-instructional package. Our self-instructional packages were written instructions and PowerPoint™ presentations that incorporated embedded text, video modeling, and voiceover instruction. After training, we evaluated each staff member’s implementation of the reinforcement strategies with a simulated student who engaged in problem behavior. After multiple exposures to the self-instructional package in a group training format, two participants mastered both procedures, two participants mastered one procedure, and two participants did not master either procedure. We discuss the clinical implications of the findings and utility of self-instructional packages in a school-consulting role.
Surgical Outcomes in Lateral Abdominal Wall Reconstruction: A Comparative Analysis of Surgical Techniques.

Background Lateral abdominal wall (LAW) myofascial defects are a challenging reconstructive problem, and no consensus exists on their surgical management. We hypothesized that mesh repairs anchored to the nonyielding LAW boundaries (pillar-anchored repairs [PARs]) would provide more durable reconstructions, with lower hernia recurrence and bulge occurrence rates, compared with mesh repairs anchored to the surrounding oblique muscle complexes (direct repairs [DRs]). Study Design We retrospectively reviewed LAW reconstructions at a single center from 2004 to 2010. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on whether they had received a PAR or a DR. The primary outcome measure was hernia recurrence. The secondary outcome measures were surgical site occurrences (SSOs), surgical site infections (SSIs), and reoperations for complications. Results We analyzed 106 consecutive patients with LAW reconstructions (PAR, 59 DR, 47). The median follow-up time was 28.1 months (PAR, 24.5 months; DR, 34.5 months). The baseline demographics were similar in the groups. Nineteen hernia recurrences were observed (PAR, 5 [8.5%]; DR, 14 [29.8%]; p = 0.033, log-rank test). The “closure type” (bridged vs reinforced repair), “mesh type” or “defect area” were not associated with hernia recurrence or bulge occurrence. The groups did not differ significantly regarding SSOs, SSIs, or reoperations for complications. In the multivariable Cox proportional regression model, PAR provided a 3.5 times lower risk of hernia recurrence than DR (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.28; 95% CI 0.09 to 0.88; p = 0.03). Conclusions The PAR technique is superior to DR for reconstructing LAW defects in order to achieve the lowest hernia recurrence rates in this complex patient population.
The psychometric evaluation of a wind band performance rubric using the Multifaceted Rasch Partial Credit Measurement Model

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable rubric to be used for the evaluation of large ensemble wind band performances. The guiding questions for this study were: (a) what are ...
When Should a Broker-Dealer Be Treated as an Investment Adviser?; Outside Counsel

When a broker-dealer should be treated as an investment adviser is an issue that has been around since the 1930s. If a broker-dealer is an “investment adviser” as that term in broadly defined in the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the broker-dealer becomes subject to all of the substantive restrictions and record-keeping requirements of the Investment Advisers Act and the rules that the Securities and Exchange Commission has promulgated pursuant to its authority under the act. Particularly troubling to broker-dealers is the general fiduciary duty to advisees that the U.S. Supreme Court has read into §206 of the act and the principal trading restrictions contained in §206(3), which apply when an investment adviser trades for its own account with an advisee. The SEC has taken a very strict view of these restrictions, requiring prior advisee permission for each separate trade. Broker-dealers have been able to rely upon the exemption contained in §202(a)(11)(C) of the Investment Advisers Act to avoid registration under the act when they provide only “incidental” investment advice and they receive no “special compensation” for this advice. The latest iteration of the issue of when a broker-dealer should be treated as investment adviser is the SEC study released in January 2011. The study was done pursuant to congressional directive contained in section 913 of the Dodd-Frank Act. Congress in particular asked the SEC to study “the potential impact of eliminating the broker and dealer exemption from the definition of ‘investment adviser’ under section 202(a)(11)(C) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The SEC staff rejected eliminating the exemption. In light of this recommendation, it seems quite unlikely that the exemption will be disappearing any time soon even if the commission acts upon any of the staff’s recommendations, which itself seems unlikely. Section 202(a)(11)(C) will remain of crucial importance to attorneys advising broker-dealers. The definition of “investment adviser” contained in §202(a)(11) is quite broad. It would capture all broker-dealers who did anything other than executions if the exemption in subsection (C) did not exist. The exemption contains two elements, both of which any broker or dealer relying upon it must meet. First, the broker-dealer’s “performance” of such [investment advisory] services [must be] solely incidental to the conduct of his business as a broker or dealer. Second, the broker-dealer must not receive any “special compensation” for the performance of such services (emphasis added). Two recent cases address these two separate elements of the exemption in some detail.
Utilizing a Dynamic Model of Food Chains to Enhance English Learners’ Science Knowledge and Language Construction

A learning format gaining attention that encourages language acquisition in science is the use of dynamic models as instructional tools. This grounded theory investigates the impact of the dynamic food chain model as an alternative lesson for teaching food chains. The researchers examined the impact of a paper-based activity and a dynamic model activity on 5th grade students’ content knowledge and language development. A total of 96 English learners (ELs) and 62 native English speakers participated. Data were collected using a What I Did/What I Learned reflection and analyzed qualitatively. Results indicate that ELs exceeded native speakers in academic language development and in understanding interconnectedness of organisms. In addition, students engaging in the dynamic model activity expressed more joyful learning than students in the paper-based activity.
"We Do Investigate Ourselves": Figurative Assessment Practices as Meaning-Making in English Education.

In this study of microteaching in a secondary English methods course, we intentionally stray from normative assessment practice, instead asking pre-service teachers to provide feedback on their pee...
Community resource referral needs among African American dementia caregivers in an urban community: a qualitative study

African American caregivers of community-residing persons with dementia are mostly unpaid and have high rates of unmet basic and health needs. The National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) mandates improved coordination of care for persons with dementia and calls for special attention to racial populations at higher risk for Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementias (ADRD) to decrease health disparities. The purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions of African American caregivers of people with dementia about community resources needed to support caregiving as well as their own self-care. Using a qualitative study design, in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with caregivers (N = 13) at an urban geriatric clinic to elicit community resource needs, barriers to and facilitators of resource use and how to optimize clinical referrals to community resources. Caregivers were shown a community resource referral list (“HealtheRx”) developed for people with dementia and were queried to elicit relevance, gaps and insights to inform delivery of this information in the healthcare setting. Data were iteratively coded and analyzed using directed content analysis. Results represent key themes. Most caregivers were women (n = 10, 77%) and offspring (n = 8, 62%) of the person with dementia. Community resource needs of these caregivers included social, entertainment, personal self-care and hospice services. Main barriers to resource use were the inability to leave the person with dementia unsupervised and the care recipient’s disinterest in participating in their own self-care. Facilitators of resource use included shared caregiving responsibility and learning about resources from trusted sources. To optimize clinical referrals to resources, caregivers wanted specific eligibility criteria and an indicator of dementia care capability. African American caregivers in this study identified ways in which community resource referrals by clinicians can be improved to meet their caregiving and self-care needs.
Gastrointestinal Surgery in the AIDS Patient

The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is associated with opportunistic infections and unusual malignancies that may affect the gastrointestinal tract. The number of patients affected by this condition is large and will continue to increase. The manifestations of the disease may mimic acute surgical conditions. In addition, standard surgical problems may occur in the AIDS patient. Diagnosis may be confounded by pre-existing symptoms and atypical presentations. An awareness and understanding of the disease processes distinctive to AIDS patients is essential for surgeons so that they may provide appropriate care to their patients and, at the same time, protect themselves and their fellow health care team members.
The Price of Schedulability in Multi-Object Tracking: The History-vs.-Accuracy Trade-Off

Autonomous vehicles often employ computer-vision (CV) algorithms that track the movements of pedestrians and other vehicles to maintain safe distances from them. These algorithms are usually expressed as real-time processing graphs that have cycles due to back edges that provide history information. If immediate back history is required, then such a cycle must execute sequentially. Due to this requirement, any graph that contains a cycle with utilization exceeding 1.0 is categorically unschedulable, i.e., bounded graph response times cannot be guaranteed. Unfortunately, such cycles can occur in practice, particularly if conservative execution-time assumptions are made, as befits a safety-critical system. This dilemma can be obviated by allowing older back history, which enables parallelism in cycle execution at the expense of possibly affecting the accuracy of tracking. However, the efficacy of this solution hinges on the resulting history-vs.-accuracy trade-off that it exposes. In this paper, this trade-off is explored in depth through an experimental study conducted using the open-source CARLA autonomous-driving simulator. Somewhat surprisingly, easing away from always requiring immediate back history proved to have only a marginal impact on accuracy in this study.
An automated algorithm using free-text clinical notes to improve identification of transgender people

Accurate identification of transgender persons is a critical first step in conducting transgender health studies. To develop an automated algorithm for identifying transgender individuals from electronic medical records (EMR) using free-text clinical notes. The development and validation of the algorithm was based on data from an integrated healthcare system that served as a participating site in the multicenter Study of Transition Outcomes and Gender. The training and test datasets each contained a total of 300 individuals identified between 2006 and 2014. Both datasets underwent a full medical record review by experienced research abstractors. The validated algorithm was then implemented to identify transgender individuals in the EMR using all clinical notes of patients that received care between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2018. Validation of the algorithm against the full chart review demonstrated a high degree of accuracy with 97% sensitivity, 95% specificity, 94% positive predictive value, and 97% negative predictive value. The algorithm classified 7,409 individuals (3.5%) as "Definitely transgender" and 679 individuals (0.3%) as "Probably transgender" out of 212,138 candidates with a total of 378,641 clinical notes. The computerized NLP algorithm can support essential efforts to improve the health of transgender people.
Photon-count fluctuations exhibit inverse-square baseband spectral behavior that extends to 1 μ Hz

The authors demonstrate that a broad variety of light sources with markedly different optical spectra all exhibit slow photon-count fluctuations at baseband that display inverse-square spectral behavior at frequencies that extend to 1 $\ensuremath{\mu}$Hz. These fluctuations are unexpected and may appear in experimental schemes from optical coherence tomography to gravitational-wave detection
Ensemble models of feedstock blend ratios to minimize supply chain risk in bio-based manufacturing

Abstract Feedstock blending as a strategy to mitigate risks in the supply of lignocellulosic biomass to commercial scale biorefineries across various geographical areas in the United States. Machine learning predictive models estimate sugar yields from feedstock blends expected to be available in Florida and Kansas. Performance of each model was assessed based on feature selection along with two-stack ensembles applied in both linear and nonlinear algorithms. Linear-weighted ensemble and nonlinear stochastic gradient boosting model ensembled with four base learners exhibited similar predictions as previously developed linear regression models when predicting glucose yields in the higher range. The ensemble models achieved a 10–50 % improvement in the root mean squared error with feature selection compared to models with full features from validation. Machine learning has the potential to predict sugar yields at high confidence for a given feedstock blend ratio and pretreatment conditions.
Interconnect-Centric Benchmarking of In-Memory Acceleration for DNNS

In-memory computing (IMC) provides a dense and parallel structure for high performance and energy-efficient acceleration of deep neural networks (DNNs). The increased computational density of IMC architectures results in increased on -chip communication costs, stressing the interconnect fabric. In this work, we develop a novel performance benchmark tool for IMC architectures that incorporates device, circuits, architecture, and interconnect under a single roof. The tool assesses the area, energy, and latency of the IMC accelerator. We analyze three interconnect cases to illustrate the versatility of the tool: (1) Point-to-point (P2P) and network-on-chip (NoC) based IMC architectures to demonstrate the criticality of the interconnect choice; (2) Area and energy optimization to improve IMC utilization and reduce on-chip interconnect cost; (3) Evaluation of a reconfigurable NoC to achieve minimum on-chip communication latency. Through these studies, we motivate the need for future work in the design of optimal on-chip and off-chip interconnect fabrics for IMC architectures.
How Financial Resilience Affects Social and Public Health Policy Choices in Sub-Saharan Africa: Empirical Insights from the COVID-19 Pandemic (preprint)

Objective: Scant evidence exists of how governments in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries consider the economic vulnerability of their populaces when instituting initial social control policies. This study examined possible clusters of financial resilience among SSA countries and how these clusters predicted the length of social control policies. Methods: We harmonized country-level financial resilience data from the World Bank’s 2019 Global Findex database, data on COVID-19 cases from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and social control data from governments’ press releases. Multivariate cluster analysis and geographically weighted regression (GWR) were used to assess the level of savings, domestic remittance, self-employment, wages, emergency funds, and agricultural income – all predictors of financial resilience. Results: We found two clusters of financial resilience: 41% of countries were financially resilient, while 59% were not. We also found that financial resilience profiles were predictive of longer durations of initial social control policies, but in varying directions and in degrees depending on the country. Conclusion: The study sheds light on the heterogeneity of financial resilience among SSA countries and extends our knowledge of financial resilience, vis-a-vis pandemic responses. Social protection programs must be developed and implemented to help populaces cope during and after the pandemic.
Effects of Bubble Injection on Heat Transfer from a Volumetrically Heated Water Pool

The fissioning of uranium in an aqueous solution creates 99Mo, the precursor to 99mTc, but also generates large amounts of hydrogen and oxygen from the radiolysis of the water. When the dissolved g...
Fenretinide increased ceramides through progressive de novo synthesis and inhibition of sphingomyelin synthesis in a neuroblastoma cell line

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4653 Fenretinide (4-HPR) is a cytotoxic retinoid active in many cancer cell lines in vitro . 4-HPR-induced death occurs in association with an increase of ceramide species (dihydroceramides > ceramides) in many cell lines. Modulators of sphingolipid metabolism can increase 4-HPR-induced cytotoxicity. We reported that 4-HPR increased ceramides by increasing the activities of serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), the rate-limiting step in de novo ceramide synthesis, and of (dihydro)ceramide synthase. However, recently it was reported that 4-HPR increased ceramides in neuroblastoma cells by sphingomyelin (SM) hydrolysis. Therefore, we further investigated the mechanisms of 4-HPR-induced ceramide(s) increase. METHODS. Sphingomyelin (SM) was pre-labeled using [14C]palmitic acid (PA) followed by washout, labeled continuously during 4-HPR exposure, or pulse-labeled at the end of 4-HPR treatment; de novo synthesized sphingolipids were labeled using [14C]PA or [14C]serine. Sphingolipids were extracted, separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and quantitated by phosphoimager scanning. Cell cytotoxicity was determined using a fluoresence-based assay system (DIMSCAN). RESULTS. In the SK-N-RA neuroblastoma cell line, in cells with pre-labeled SM pools, 4-HPR (10 μM) treatment decreased ceramides by ∼40% over controls at +6 hr (P 0.05). In contrast, 4-HPR treatment increased de novo labeled ceramides (dihydroceramides >> ceramides) by ∼130% over controls at +6 hours. Together, these results suggest that, in SK-N-RA cells, 4-HPR increased ceramides mainly through de novo synthesis but with a contribution from inhibition of SM formation.To further investigate the role of sphingomyelin metabolism in 4-HPR-treated cells, D609, a SM synthase inhibitor, was employed. A 24 hr treatment of D609 (375 μM) inhibited SM formation by 65% (P<0.001), increased total ceramides by ∼60% (P=0.003), and, in combination with 4-HPR, D609 may have increased total ceramides a further 20% compared to 4-HPR-only treated cells (P=0.13). Further, D609 synergized 4-HPR cytotoxicity (4-HPR-alone, LD99 = ∼9.5 μM; D609+4-HPR, LD99 = 6.5 μM 4-HPR; survival fraction = 0.08 vs 0.0007 at 9 μM 4-HPR, C.I. < 0.4). CONCLUSIONS. In SK-N-RA neuroblastoma cells, 4-HPR increased ceramides primarily by de novo synthesis with a contribution from inhibition of SM synthesis. Further, inhibition of SM formation may constitute a novel method of synergizing 4-HPR cytotoxicity for neuroblastoma treatment.
Transition Metal Clusters with Π-Acid Ligands

Publisher Summary Current interest in metal cluster compounds has arisen from the demonstration that metal-metal bonds play a key role in determining the chemistry of large classes of compounds, in particular, those with heavy metal atoms in low valent states. The occurrence of metal-metal bonding in transition metal complexes has been surveyed , and the criteria for metal-metal bonding and the factors contributing to the stability of such bonds have been discussed. Schafer and Schnering (344) and more recently Keppert and Vrieze have reviewed the lower halide, oxide, and oxyhalide clusters of the heavier transition metals. Cotton has considered the transition metal clusters in terms of structural types, and a similar approach has been adopvted in a review of molecular polyhedra of high coordination number. The definition of a metal cluster proposed by Cotton requires only the presence of direct covalent bonds between the metal atoms. As this includes the whole class of compounds containing metal-metal bonds, it has been considered desirable in this review to restrict the term cluster to those compounds containing at least three metal atoms linked directly by covalent bonds.
Micro-applications for communication data access patterns and MPI datatypes

Data is often communicated from different locations in application memory and is commonly serialized (copied) to send buffers or from receive buffers. MPI datatypes are a way to avoid such intermediate copies and optimize communications, however, it is often unclear which implementation and optimization choices are most useful in practice. We extracted the send/recv-buffer access pattern of a representative set of scientific applications into micro-applications that isolate their data access patterns. We also observed that the buffer-access patterns in applications can be categorized into three different groups. Our micro-applications show that up to 90% of the total communication time can be spent with local serialization and we found significant performance discrepancies between state-of-the-art MPI implementations. Our micro-applications aim to provide a standard benchmark for MPI datatype implementations to guide optimizations similarly to SPEC CPU and the Livermore loops do for compiler optimizations.
What Can Pictorial Representations Reveal about the Cognitive Characteristics of Autism

In this paper, we develop a cognitive account of autism centered around a reliance on pictorial representations. This Thinking in Pictures hypothesis shows significant potential for explaining many autistic behaviors. We support this hypothesis with empirical evidence from several independent behavioral and neuroimaging studies of individuals with autism, each of which shows strong bias towards visual representations and activity. We also examine three other cognitive theories of autism--Mindblindness, Weak Central Coherence, and Executive Dysfunction--and show how Thinking in Pictures provides a deeper explanation for several results typically cited in support of these theories.
Globalization, Global Community and the Possibility of Global Justice

In this essay, I suggest five ways in which globalization is changing the cosmopolitan/communitarian debate over global justice, by creating, both inter-subjectively and at the regulatory level, the constitutive elements of a limited global community. Members of this global community are increasingly aware of each other's needs and circumstances, increasingly capable of effectively addressing these needs, and increasingly contributing to these circumstances in the first place. They find themselves involved in the same global market society, and together these members look to the same organizations, especially those at the meta-state level, to provide regulatory approaches to addressing problems of global social policy. Thus in global social relations we can begin to see that minimum level of "community" necessary to support relations of justice, at least in certain areas, even if it does not manifest that level of community necessary to speak of "global community" in the fullest communitarian sense.
The Efficiency and the Efficacy of Title VII

In a recent article in this journal,' John Donohue argues that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,2 which forbids employment discrimination on racial and other invidious grounds,3 may well be an efficient intervention in labor markets, even if efficiency is narrowly defined as maximizing social wealth. His argument is of considerable interest. Social welfare legislation, notably including legislation designed to help minority groups, is usually thought to involve a tradeoff between equity and efficiency, or between the just distribution of society's wealth and the aggregate amount of that wealth. If Donohue is right and equity and efficiency line up on the same side of the issue, these laws are considerably less problematic than they have seemed to some observers. Donohue's argument builds on Gary Becker's theory of racial discrimination.4 For Becker, discrimination by whites against blacks is the result of an aversion that whites have to associating with blacks.' This aversion makes it more costly for whites to transact with blacks than with other whites. Becker likens this additional transaction cost to transportation costs in international trade.' The higher those transportation costs are, the less international trade there will be. Countries such as Switzerland that are highly dependent on such trade because
Einstein metrics and preserved curvature conditions for the Ricci flow

Let C be a cone in the space of algebraic curvature tensors. Moreover, let (M,g) be a compact Einstein manifold with the property that the curvature tensor of (M,g) lies in the interior of the cone C at each point on M. We show that (M,g) has constant sectional curvature if the cone C satisfies certain structure conditions.
Intra-articular fibroma of tendon sheath arising in the acromioclavicular joint

Fibroma of the tendon sheath, a rare benign soft tissue tumor that most often occurs in the distal upper extremities (hands and wrist), is exceedingly rare to present as an intraarticular mass. Presented here is the first case in the English literature, to our knowledge, of a fibroma of the tendon sheath arising in the acromioclavicular joint. The patient presented with recurrent shoulder pain with activity without antecedent trauma. Radiographs were essentially normal. MR images demonstrated a lobulated, heterogeneous mass with contrast enhancement arising from the acromioclavicular joint. Following surgical resection, histopathology revealed hypocellular collagen matrix with spindle-shaped fibroblasts, confirming the diagnosis of fibroma of tendon sheath. The imaging features of the fibroma of the tendon sheath and a brief review of the literature are presented.
Local residents’ wishes and black college/black church community development corporations

This paper focuses on the priorities of Blacks about the changes, e.g., decreased crime, which would make life in their neighborhoods a satisfying experience. This preferential information about neighborhood satisfaction was collected from Blacks in 19 sites, in the South and Southwest, who lived near a Black college or church community development corporation (CDC). According to the results, respondents living near a black church CDC made decreasing crime a priority while those near a Black college CDC were concerned about economic issues. The survey provides information that CDCs can use to create programs that fit with residents’ wishes and increase neighborhood satisfaction.
Q-factor: A serum component required for the appearance of nucleoside Q in tRNA in tissue culture

Abstract Animal serum contains an activity, designated Q-factor, which effects an increase in nucleoside Q-containing tRNA in tissue culture. The appearance of Q-positive tRNA Asp in the L-M cell line cultivated serum-free has been used as an assay to partially characterize Q-factor from fetal bovine serum and to determine that bovine amniotic fluid contains 100 fold more Q-factor than does fetal bovine serum. Q-factor is dialyzable, 500 molecular weight or less, and binds tightly to activated charcoal and dextran. Using Q-factor, evidence is presented that the Q-negative tRNA Asp species are precursors of the Q-positive species.
The purification of avidin and its derivatives on 2-iminobiotin-6-aminohexyl-Sepharose 4B

Abstract The pH-dependent interaction between the cyclic guanidino analog of biotin, 2-iminobiotin, and avidin has been used in the design of an efficient affinity isolation system for avidin and its fluorescent and iodinated derivatives. Avidin and its derivatives are retained by a column of 2-iminobiotin-6-aminohexyl-Sepharose 4B at pH values between 9 and 11 and are specifically eluted from the column at pH 4. This affinity isolation procedure overcomes the harsh conditions, i.e., 6 m guanidine-HCl, pH 1.5, required to dissociate avidin from an immobilized biotin column.
Ghost-Writing: Philip Roth's Portrait of the Artist

In writing a trilogy of novels on the life and times of Nathan Zuckerman, American Jewish Writer, Philip Roth has waded manfully into a tradition even more thickly and brilliantly populated than the one he selected as literary background for The Breast. If the grotesque metamorphosis of David Kepesh into a six-foot, one-hundred-and-fifty-pound female breast compels us to compare Roth's novel with some of the great texts of Kafka and Gogol, in Zuckerman Bound Roth invokes the more formidable context of James, Proust, Joyce, Lawrence, Mann, and Gide (to mention only a few), several of whose artist-portraits are identified in the trilogy and all implied. Roth has said in an interview that the novelty of this particular portrait is that it describes "the comedy that an artistic vocation can turn out to be in the U.S.A."' The comedy pertains not only to the career of Zuckerman himself, a series of zany encounters with writers, readers, and critics, whose responses to one Zuckerman fiction become the action of the next, but also
Middle Class Asian American Neighborhoods: Resident and Practitioner Perceptions

Abstract We conducted a survey of 422 Asian Indian and Korean American residents of New Jersey to determine how middle-income Asian Americans rate their neighborhood environments compared to non-Asians living in the same or similar environments, and the issues that affect their neighborhood quality ratings. In addition, we interviewed practitioners in these same communities for their perceptions of their interactions with Asian Americans. The first part examines Asian Americans' perceptions of their neighborhoods; the second part focuses on resident-practitioner interactions from the perspective of practitioners. The third part discusses results. We present suggestions to practitioners for interacting with Asian American clients on a proposed land use change.
Implementation of cw- and pulsed-laser beacons for astronomical adaptive optics systems

Artificial beacons generated at the sodium layer have many advantages for adaptive optics (AO) systems in astronomy. The source can be sufficiently bright to achieve high Strehl ratios at infrared wavelengths and because the target object can often be used as the tracking source, photometric field errors can be much reduced compared to off-axis natural beacons. The problem has been to develop a laser that could be tuned to the sodium D2 line and focused into a compact spot without saturating the layer. Both CW and sum frequency lasers are well suited for this work will be used for the ChAOS AO system described elsewhere in this conference. In this paper we discuss some of the parameters that determine how well CW work, the limitations of pulsed lasers and the development of a 10 watt diode laser pumped sum frequency laser for use in astronomy.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Structural, vibrational, and thermodynamic properties of Al-Sc alloys and intermetallic compounds

We present results of a theoretical study of the temperature-dependent structural and thermodynamic properties of solid-phase Al-Sc alloys and compounds based upon first-principles calculations of electronic free energies and ionic vibrational spectra. This work extends a previous first-principles study of the fcc portion of the Al-Sc phase diagram which demonstrated a large effect of vibrational free energy upon calculated Sc solid-solubility limits [V. Ozoli\ifmmode \mbox{\c{n}}\else \c{n}\fi{}\ifmmode \check{s}\else \v{s}\fi{} and M. Asta, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 448 (2001)]. Here the contributions of nonconfigurational (electronic and vibrational) entropies to the free energies of solid-phase Al-Sc alloys and compounds are analyzed in further detail, and the accuracy of the approximations employed in these calculations is assessed. For each of the reported intermetallic compounds in this system, calculated formation enthalpies agree to within 10% (0.05 eV/atom) of published calorimetry measurements. Large negative entropies of formation, equal to $\ensuremath{-}{0.77k}_{B}/\mathrm{atom},$ $\ensuremath{-}{0.58k}_{B}/\mathrm{atom},$ and $\ensuremath{-}{0.24k}_{B}/\mathrm{atom}$ are calculated for cubic ${\mathrm{Al}}_{3}\mathrm{Sc},$ cubic AlSc, and orthorhombic AlSc compounds, respectively, resulting primarily from the stiffening of nearest-neighbor Al-Sc bonds in the intermetallic phases relative to elemental Al and Sc. The net effects of nonconfigurational free energy contributions to the fcc portion of the Al-Sc phase diagram are 100 and 450 K decreases in the calculated Al solvus phase boundary temperatures associated with electronic and vibrational entropy, respectively, at the maximum measured Sc solid-solubility limit.
Identification of dopamine receptors in the rat retina

Specific [3H]spiroperidol binding was used to measure dopamine receptors in membrane fractions isolated from rat retinae. Spiroperidol binding is saturable with an apparent dissociation constant, KD, of 3·5 × 10−10m and approximately 155 fmol bound/mg protein. Specific binding is proportional to protein concentration, and time-dependent. The ability of various dopamine agonists and antagonists to compete with [3H]spiroperidol binding is compatible with the relative in vivo dopaminergic effect of these drugs.
Prevention groups with children and adolescents

Abstract Primary prevention has increasingly become a focus of child and adolescent research literature over the past 25 years. Given the amount of time that children and adolescents spend with their peers both in and out of classrooms, the group is the logical choice for the delivery of preventive services. The purpose of this article is to familiarize the group practitioner with prevention concepts and methods for use with groups for children and adolescents. This article also provides recommendations for measuring process and outcome variables in prevention groups based on a comprehensive review of the prevention group literature.
Projection of improved high rate discharge performance for homogenized cathode Li/I2 (P2VP) batteries

It has been recently proposed that implementing a cathode with a homogeneous distribution of iodine and P2VP into Li/I2 (P2VP) batteries would be a means of enhancing high rate discharge performance. A procedure for predicting high rate discharge performance gains for such cells is presented. The projected high rate discharge performance for cells with homogeneous cathodes is superior to the performance of conventional cells.
Evidence that Stimulation of Thyrotropin and Prolactin Secretion by Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Occur via Different Calcium-Mediated Mechanisms: Studies with Verapamil*

TRH stimulation of TSH and PRL secretion requires Ca2+. We determined whether influx of extracellular Ca2+ was involved in TRH action in TtT cells (mouse pituitary tumor cells in short term culture that produce TSH), in GH3 cells (clonal rat pituitary tumor cells that produce PRL), and in anterior pituitary cells in vitro derived from normal rats. TRH increased 45Ca2+ uptake by TtT cells by 40% but had no effect on 45Ca2+ uptake by GH3 cells. Verapamil, which totally inhibited 45Ca2+ uptake by TtT and GH3 cells induced by depolarization with 50 mM K+, was employed to block influx of extracellular Ca2+. Verapamil (50 JUM) abolished the increment in 45Ca2+ uptake by TtT cells caused by TRH. Verapamil had no effect on TRH-stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux and PRL release from GH3 cells but partially inhibited TRH-stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux and TSH release from TtT cells during perifusion. TRH-stimulated PRL release from GH3 cells was likewise not affected by verapamil during static incubation (7.2 ± 1.1 ng/ml vs. 6.2 ±...
Finite separable metacyclic 2-groups

Abstract A finite separable metacyclic 2-group G can be written as the semidirect product of a cyclic group with another cyclic group. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for when all other split decompositions of G result in, up to isomorphism, this same semidirect product representation for G .
History and Political Science: Together Again?

There was a period in America when the political science and history disciplines were not that far apart. Both approaches to analyzing civil society had evolved out of an old Anglo-American tradition where these two subjects, along with philosophy and literature, were all considered in relationship to one another. During the formative years of the American research university, which took place at the turn of the twentieth century, both disciplines shared common founding fathers. A classic example was Charles Beard, whose influence spanned both areas of scholarship. Indeed, it was a breakaway faction of the American Historical Association that formed the American Political Science Association.
Freshening of the Labrador Sea surface waters in the 1990s: Another great salinity anomaly?

Both the observed and simulated time series of the Labrador Sea surface salinities show a major freshening event since the middles. It continues the series of decoder events of the 1970s and 1980s from which the freshening in the early 1970's was named as the Great Salinity Anomaly (GSA). These events are especially distinguishable in the late summer (August and September) time series. The observed data suggests that the 1990's freshening may equal the GSA in magnitude. This recent event is associated with a large reduction in the overturning rate between the early and latter part of the 1990s. Both the observations and model results indicate that the surface salinity conditions appear to be returning towards normal daring 1999 and 2000 in the coastal area, but offshore, the model predicts the freshening to linger on after peaking 1997.
Lessons of love: Psychoanalysis and teacher-student love

What is the relation of love and pedagogy? Two recent phenomena have called into question whether love has any place within pedagogy at all: teacher-student sexual scandal and the standardization movement. As love walks the thin line between inspiration and sex, and as standardization has assumed love to be synonymous with bias, it has become more important than ever to provide a clear account of love and its relation to teaching. For this account, I turn to Lacanian psychoanalysis and, in particular, to Lacan's contentious claim that “There is no such thing as a sexual relationship.” Through an explication of Lacan's position on love, I conclude that love not only has a place within pedagogy but is necessary for it.
On bandwidth and edgesum for the composition of two graphs

Abstract The composition of two graphs G and H, written G[H], is the graph with vertex set V(G) × V(H) and with (u1, v1) adjacent to (u2, v2) if either u1 is adjacent to u2 in G or u1 = u2 and v1 is adjacent to v2 in H. In this paper, we investigate the bandwidth problem for the composition of two graphs and obtain the bandwidth for several classes of graphs of the forms Kn[G] and K1,n[G]. We also provide optimal numberings which solve the graph edgesum problem for Kn[Pm] and Kn[Cm].
Some observations on the development of dictyosome-like structures in guinea pig testes

Structures superficially resembling dictyosomes (DLS) are present in guinea pig spermatocytes. They are first visible in late stages of spermatogonial development as single, irregularly shaped saccules. DLS saccules continue to form, at what appears to be a much accelerated rate, during the first stages of spermatocyte development. After formation, the saccules mature and aggregate into a stacked, or dictyosomal, configuration. DLS reach their maximum numbers in spermatocytes just prior to the formation of proacrosomal granules and, at this time, constitute more membrane than Golgi apparatus and as much as 25% of the total endomembrane of the spermatocyte. The DLS then decline in numbers and only a few remain in spermatids. DLS reappear just prior to spermiation and become conspicuous features of the residual body and cytoplasmic droplet. DLS membranes have structural and cytochemical similarities to the membranes of the mature (trans) faces of the Golgi apparatus, and especially the thick cisternae of the spermatid Golgi apparatus. They are similar, also, to the membranes of the acrosome, the cell surface, multivesicular bodies (MVB), and a class of vesicles whose membranes appear “thin” following fixation in tannic acid. Both the thin membrane vesicles (i.e., the tannic acid asymmetrical vesicles-TAAV) and the MVB may act as membrane pools for the generation and/or dissipation of DLS.
Exergy efficiency of plant photosynthesis

Abstract With recent concerns about sustainability and environmental protection, growing attention has been focused on biological sources for both chemicals and fuels; however, to analyze such bioprocesses for commercial viability, and to investigate possible efficiency improvements, the theoretical efficiencies must be known as an upper-bound on performance. Since almost all exergy contained in biomass originates from solar radiation, photosynthesis is the gateway to sustainable bioprocess development. The literature shows a wide range of efficiency predictions, 2.6–41%, due to different definitions and methods of analysis. Therefore, the objective of this study is to dissect the complex bio-processes involved in photosynthesis and analyze the exergy flows through the system, analyzing photosynthesis so as to be understandable by both biologists and thermodynamicists. The initial absorption of light has the lowest exergy efficiency, and it accounts for over 64% of the exergy lost throughout the system. For the light reactions, reduction potentials are used to analyze the flow of excited, high-energy electrons through photosystems II and I, resulting in an exergy efficiency for the light reactions of 32 percent. For the dark reactions, the chemical exergy method proposed by Lems et al. (2007 ) is appropriate. The resulting efficiency of the dark reactions is 81 percent. Exergy losses to transpiration and photorespiration are taken into account, although their effects are relatively small. The overall exergy efficiency of photosynthesis is calculated to be 3.9 percent. The efficiencies of the sub-processes, as well as the overall efficiency, show good agreement with recent publications. Ultimately, the largest losses are due to poor absorption of light and the inefficient electron transfer through the photosystems.
Repulsive Casimir and Van Der Waals Forces:. from Measurements to Future Technologies

By engineering the boundary conditions of electromagnetic fields between material interfaces, one can dramatically change the Casimir-Lifshitz force between surfaces as a result of the modified zero-point energy density of the system. Repulsive interactions between macroscopic bodies occur when their dielectric responses obey a particular inequality, as pointed out by Dzyaloshinskii, Lifshitz, and Pitaevskii. We discuss experimental verification of this behavior as well as a description of how this can be used to develop a scheme for quantum levitation. Based on these concepts, we discuss the possible development of a new class of devices based on ultra-low static friction and the ability to sort objects based on their dielectric functions.
Natriuretic peptide levels: what’s on the horizon?

Natriuretic peptide (NP) levels (brain NP [BNP] and N-terminal prohormone [NTpro]BNP) have taken the cardiology world by storm. The uptake of NPs have been quicker and more thorough than troponin I and Tand C-reactive protein. As a result of this excitement, as well as the relatively inexpensive (US$ 20) and fast turnaround time (20 min), the possibility of misuse looms large. At the outset, it should be said that NP levels should never be used as a stand-alone test; rather, one that is an adjunct to the patient’s history and physical and other laboratory or diagnostic procedures. The two peptides, BNP and NTproBNP, are not interchangeable. While both are of value, one cannot suddenly switch assays and expect the same interpretation of the values. Finally, there is a learning curve for using NP levels.