cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-sector collaboration on Safe Routes to School policy advocacy and implementation: A mixed methods evaluation from Minnesota

Abstract Cross-sector collaboration has been a crucial element of planning and implementing large-scale obesity prevention-related policies and programs in the United States, including Safe Routes to School (SRTS), which promotes walking and bicycling through physical infrastructure changes and programmatic efforts. Minnesota provides a unique opportunity to evaluate a collaborative partnership that successfully implemented and institutionalized one of the first state-funded SRTS initiatives in the country and included close collaboration between transportation and health officials and advocates at both the state and local levels. This theoretically informed mixed methods case study identified and described the roles of both central and peripheral members of a collaborative SRTS partnership in Minnesota. Qualitative analyses of 18 stakeholder interviews identified key aspects of success, including passionate and skilled individuals with a common objective, structures that facilitated work across partnership functions and geographies, strong interpersonal and inter-organizational relationships, capacity for implementation and advocacy, and information and knowledge sharing. Findings indicate that contributors to partnership success may differ across multiple geographic levels and partnership functions. Contextual factors external to the partnership are also likely to affect whether partnerships achieve their goals.
The heart rate component of the social reflex in dogs: the conditional effects of petting and person.

Five dogs were given a 480-cps tone followed by shock for more than 200 trials. A 200-cps tone was then introduced followed by a person petting the dog at the end of the conditional signal (CS) for 50 trials. Finally, the 480-cps tone-shock (T-S) sequence was reintroduced for five trials, after which the person entered the experimental room and stood beside the dog during one additional T-S sequence.
Third-Harmonic Generation in Both Positively and Negatively Dispersive Xe

The multiphoton ionization (MPI) spectra of rare gases at pressures above about 10-2 Torr are strongly influenced by the presence of third-harmonic (TH) light which is generated in the focal region concurrently with any multiphoton absorption [1,2]. The presence of this additional frequency at 3ω and its intensity dependence on wavelength, pressure, focal length, or the addition of buffer gas must be accounted for in order to fully understand the MPI spectrum. Most dramatic is the complete suppression at modest pressures of resonances in the MPI which are both one- and three-photon allowed. The disappearance of resonances is due to the interference between the two possible excitation pathways involving either one TH photon or three laser photons [1,2]. Conversely, MPI is an excellent way to study TH generation, providing an in-situ probe of the wavelength dependence and relative intensity of the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light without the need for MgF2 windows or vacuum monochromators.
The plant ecology of inland dunes in western North America

Plants on inland dunes in western North America have evolved specialised adaptations to the dune environment. An important adaptation is elongation of roots and shoots, enabling plants to survive burial by moving sand. Plant communities on dunes are a mixture of dune endemics, widely distributed plants of sandy soils, and plants found in adjacent, non-dune habitats. Competition between plants on dunes is negligible. Moving sand, not lack of moisture, is the major limiting factor for plants on dunes. Adaptation to moving sand has resulted in relatively high rates of endemism on some inland dunes.
Analysis of national trends in neurosurgical resident attrition

OBJECTIVE Resident attrition creates a profound burden on trainees and residency programs. This study aims to analyze trends in resident attrition in neurological surgery. METHODS This study followed a cohort of 1275 residents who started neurosurgical residency from 2005 to 2010. Data obtained from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) included residents who matched in neurosurgery during this time. Residents who did not finish their residency training at the program in which they started were placed into the attrition group. Residents in the attrition group were characterized by one of five outcomes: transferred neurosurgery programs; transferred to a different specialty; left clinical medicine; deceased; or unknown. A thorough internet search was conducted for residents who did not complete their training at their first neurosurgical program. Variables leading to attrition were also analyzed, including age, sex, presence of advanced degree (Ph.D.), postgraduate year (PGY), and geographical region of program. RESULTS Residents starting neurosurgical residency from 2005 to 2010 had an overall attrition rate of 10.98%. There was no statistically significant difference in attrition rates among the years (p = 0.337). The outcomes for residents in the attrition group were found to be as follows: 33.61% transferred neurosurgical programs, 56.30% transferred to a different medical specialty, 8.40% left clinical medicine, and 1.68% were deceased. It was observed that women had a higher attrition rate (18.50%) than men (10.35%). Most attrition (65.07%) occurred during PGY 1 or 2. The attrition group was also observed to be significantly older at the beginning of residency training, with a mean of 31.69 years of age compared to 29.31 in the nonattrition group (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in the attrition rates for residents with a Ph.D. (9.86%) compared to those without a Ph.D. (p = 0.472). CONCLUSIONS A majority of residents in the attrition group pursued training in different medical specialties, most commonly neurology, radiology, and anesthesiology. Factors associated with an increased rate of attrition were older age at the beginning of residency, female sex, and junior resident (PGY-1 to PGY-2). Resident attrition remains a significant problem within neurosurgical training, and future studies should focus on targeted interventions to identify individuals at risk to help them succeed in their medical careers.
Impact of surface oxidation on the structural, electronic transport, and optical properties of two-dimensional titanium nitride (Ti3N2) MXene

Abstract In this study, the effects of surface oxidation on the structural, electronic transport, and optical properties of two-dimensional titanium nitride (Ti3N2) MXene are examined using density functional theory calculations. Our computations demonstrate that surface-oxidized titanium nitride (Ti3N2O2) MXene is thirty percent more stable than the bare Ti3N2. Adsorption energy calculations show that oxygen terminal groups strongly adhere to the Ti atoms on the surface of the bare Ti3N2. The covalent bonding between outer Ti and N atoms in Ti3N2 MXene is partially transferred to the ionic bonding owing to the surface oxidation and resulting in the formation of covalent bonding between outer Ti and O atoms in the Ti3N2O2 MXene. This surface oxidation has a negative impact on the metallic conductivity of the bare Ti3N2 due to the reduction of density of the states at the Fermi level. The current of Ti3N2 decreases after the termination of the surface atoms with oxygen atoms. Surface oxidation reduces both absorption and the reflectivity of the Ti3N2 in the visible spectrum. However, Ti3N2O2 displays considerably higher absorption and reflectivity compared to the Ti3N2 at higher photon energies. Our results provide a reference for theoretical and experimental studies on the optoelectronics applications of titanium nitride MXenes.
The Role of the Low Vision Assistant in the Care of Visually Impaired Persons

Low vision assistants are critically needed to fill the manpower shortage in low vision care if complete services are to be available to all visually impaired persons. It is important that formal t...
Measurement and control of large diameter ionization waves of arbitrary velocity.

Large diameter, flying focus driven ionization waves of arbitrary velocity (IWAV’s) were produced by a defocused laser beam in a hydrogen gas jet, and their spatial and temporal electron density characteristics were measured using a novel, spectrally resolved interferometry diagnostic. A simple analytic model predicts the effects of power spectrum non-uniformity on the IWAV trajectory and transverse profile. This model compares well with the measured data and suggests that spectral shaping can be used to customize IWAV behavior and increase controlled propagation of ionization fronts for plasma-photonics applications.
Advancing Federalism Concerns in Administrative Law Through a Revitalization of Enforcement Powers – A Case Study of the Consumer Product Safety and Improvement Act of 2008

Problems of executive discretion, accountability, and limits of judicial review are both the source and the crux of administrative law. Judicial review of agency rule-making and action are the focus of many scholarly discussions. However, in the area of agency inaction there has traditionally been very little judicial review and almost unfettered executive discretion. Inaction can take many forms, such as a denial of rule-making or a choice not to enforce, or otherwise overlook, violations of regulations. A great majority of these inactions go unnoticed by the electorate, leading to few political accountability mechanisms. The lack of political accountability, coupled with established understandings that the courts generally do not review areas of inaction, leaves an oversight gap that can have real consequences. This article addresses that gap and argues that a legislative grant of state enforcement power serves as a remedy, both in expanding enforcement and also providing a necessary tension to hold the federal agency accountable for its decisions not to enforce.
How do Non-Majors Approach a CS1 Course?

As CS1 enrollment continues to grow, the challenge to address all students' learning preferences grows as well. Accounting for the needs of larger and more diverse populations of students requires innovation in the realms of course design and structure. In a non-major context, these challenges are made even more explicit. By studying the manner in which non-major engineering students approach an introductory programming course, revisions to existing course designs may be better informed. This study presents the analysis of one semester of qualitative data provided by 237 students via survey about their approach to an introductory programming course designed for engineering students. By clustering students into groups based on factors such as their usage of different study materials and prior programming experience, trends in student engagement are observed. We find that students with significant levels of prior programming experience exhibit higher levels of confidence and enjoyment in programming, as well as satisfaction with overall performance. However, these students make less use of available study materials. Students entering the course without any prior experience are more frequently utilize the available course resources. This contrast in approaches and attitudes demonstrates the need for flexibility within CS1 courses that face large, diverse enrollment populations. In order to ensure that all students receive a positive learning experience, many learning pathways must be made available. Therefore, knowledge of student behavior can help to guide instructors in the creation of course content which is more closely focused on what students use to succeed.
Short-Term Change in Measures of Glycemia in Obese Youth Meeting Criteria for Prediabetes: A Retrospective Chart Review.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of youth diagnosed with prediabetes is increasing, yet there is a lack of guidelines on how to manage this condition clinically. OBJECTIVES The aim was to determine the short-term outcomes of patients referred with prediabetes and to determine predictors of worsening dysglycemia in youth. STUDY DESIGN This is a retrospective chart review of patients referred to our Youth Diabetes Prevention Clinic (YDPC) with laboratory tests indicating an increased risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D). We defined glycemic categories by HbA1c with normoglycemia as HbA1c <5.7%, prediabetes I (P1) as HbA1c 5.7 to <6.0%, and prediabetes II (P2) as HbA1c 6.0 to <6.5%. We compared HbA1c at the time of referral (screening HbA1c) and at the YDPC visit (YDPC HbA1c) to assess for improvement or worsening. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess predictors of prediabetes. RESULTS Among 562 patients seen, 336 had both screening and YDPC HbA1c values. Race (p < 0.001) and screening glycemic category (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with dysglycemia at the YDPC visit, while sex (p = 0.50), BMI z-score change (p = 0.27), and days from referral (p = 0.83) were not. As compared to those who reverted to normoglycemia, patients with prediabetes at YDPC were 7 times more likely to have a higher screening HbA1c (both P1 and P2). The majority of patients referred with prediabetes had lower HbA1c at the YDPC (75.4-82.6%). CONCLUSION Patients with screening HbA1c <6% might benefit from a 4-month follow-up at primary care while recommending lifestyle changes. Patients of minority race and screening HbA1c ≥6% are more likely to have a persistent elevation of HbA1c.
DNA Strand Exchange to Monitor Human RAD51-Mediated Strand Invasion and Pairing

The homologous recombination (HR) pathway maintains genomic integrity by repairing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), single-strand DNA gaps, and collapsed replication forks. The process of HR involves strand invasion, homology search, and DNA strand exchange between paired DNA molecules. HR is critical for the high-fidelity repair of DNA DSBs in mitotic cells and for the exchange of genetic information during meiosis. Here we describe a DNA strand exchange reaction in vitro utilizing purified proteins and defined DNA substrates to measure the strand invasion and pairing activities of the human RAD51 protein. We further discuss how this reaction can be catalytically stimulated by the mediator protein BRCA2.
Knifefish’s suction makes water boil

We discovered that knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons) during suction feeding can produce millimeter-sized cavitation bubbles and flow accelerations up to ~ 450 times the acceleration of gravity. Knifefish may use this powerful suction-induced cavitation to cause physical damage on prey hiding in narrow refuges, therefore facilitating capture.
A comparison of single-case evaluation tools applied to functional communication training with augmentative and alternative communication supports for students with developmental disabilities.

Abstract Background Students with developmental disabilities frequently present with both limited vocal speech and challenging behavior. Functional communication training (FCT) with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) supports, is a commonly recommended intervention to reduce challenging behavior for these students, while also increasing appropriate communication. Aims Current research on this topic has not applied multiple evaluation tools, despite the recent suggestion to do so. Further, there are limited studies in the field of special education that have (a) applied multiple evaluation tools and (b) compared the results of the tools. Method In the current review, we applied three evaluation tools to intervention studies examining the use of FCT with AAC supports in school-based settings to determine the current level of scientific support for this intervention. We identified 38 studies, which contained 59 single-case designs (SCDs). Next, we compared the methodological rigor and/or quality, outcome scores, and Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) ratings provided by the three evaluation tools. Results and conclusion Our results yielded inconsistent methodological rigor and/or quality, participant outcome measures, and EBP classifications between the evaluation tools. No two evaluation tools completely aligned. Limitations and future research are discussed.
The Role of Temperature and NOx in Ozone Trends in the Los Angeles Basin.

Ozone, a major contributor to poor air quality, has an array of adverse effects on human, animal, and plant health. In the Los Angeles basin, a megacity that has pursued cleaner air for decades, unhealthy levels of ozone have decreased but remain stubbornly frequent even as the ozone precursors NOx (nitrogen oxides ≡ NO2 + NO) and VOC (volatile organic compounds) have decreased. We describe a combined analysis of decadal trends in these precursors, differences in emissions with day-of-week, and of the impact of temperature to assess the role of VOC and NOx and the likely effects of additional emission reductions on the occurrence of high ozone in the region.
Videoconferencing and the development of intercultural competence: insights from students' self‐reflections

This manuscript contributes to the existing body of literature on intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in the context of computer‐mediated communication by examining how fourth‐semester learners of Spanish (n = 18) display and develop ICC over the course of a semester. Novel to this study are: (1) the use of service‐provider virtual exchanges to carry out the videoconferencing conversations between second language (L2) learners and native speakers (NSs) and (2) the use of both Byram's ICC objectives and Bennett's ethnocentric and ethnorelative perspectives to analyze students' written reflection papers following videoconferencing conversations with NSs. The use of these two frameworks allowed us to map how students conceptualize and experience cultural difference during videoconferencing exchanges and show how their interpretations evolve, shaping their attitudes toward and their beliefs about the target cultures and its speakers. Our findings indicate that instead of relying solely on Byram's ICC framework, as is traditional, combining aspects of Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity with Byram's assessment guidelines is a fruitful and efficient way for foreign language instructors to accurately identify the developmental stage of their students and design appropriate instructional activities.
The Second Transition: Eastern Europe in Perspective

The countries of Eastern Europe achieved two remarkable transitions in the short period of the last two decades: from plan to market and, then, in the run-up to and entry into the European Union, they rode a wave of global trade and financial market integration. Focusing on the second transition, this paper reaches three conclusions. First, by several metrics, East European and East Asian growth performances were about on par from the mid-1990s; both regions far surpassed Latin American growth. Second, the mechanisms of growth in East Europe and East Asia were, however, very different. East Europe relied on a distinctive - often discredited-model, embracing financial integration with structural change to compensate for appreciating real exchange rates. In contrast, East Asia contained further financial integration and maintained steady or depreciating real exchange rates. Third, the ongoing financial turbulence has, thus far, not had an obviously differential impact on emerging market regions: rather, the hot spots in each region reflect individual country vulnerabilities. If the East European growth model is distinctive, is it sustainable and replicable? The paper speculates on the possibilities.
Amplitude Mean of Functional Data on $\mathbb{S}^2$.

Manifold-valued functional data analysis (FDA) recently becomes an active area of research motivated by the raising availability of trajectories or longitudinal data observed on non-linear manifolds. The challenges of analyzing such data come from many aspects, including infinite dimensionality and nonlinearity, as well as time-domain or phase variability. In this paper, we study the amplitude part of manifold-valued functions on $\mathbb{S}^2$, which is invariant to random time warping or re-parameterization. Utilizing the nice geometry of $\mathbb{S}^2$, we develop a set of efficient and accurate tools for temporal alignment of functions, geodesic computing, and sample mean calculation. At the heart of these tools, they rely on gradient descent algorithms with carefully derived gradients. We show the advantages of these newly developed tools over its competitors with extensive simulations and real data and demonstrate the importance of considering the amplitude part of functions instead of mixing it with phase variability in manifold-valued FDA.
Thermal science and engineering of β-Ga2O3 materials and devices

Abstract β-Ga2O3 is a promising ultrawide bandgap semiconductor under development for power electronics and RF applications. However, the low thermal conductivity of β-Ga2O3 presents challenges for creating high power devices and managing the thermal loads without exceeding thermal limits. In this chapter, we cover the anisotropic thermal conductivity of β-Ga2O3 and the anisotropic thermal boundary conductance between β-Ga2O3 and metal contacts. These properties play a major role in the way devices dissipate heat. Next, these properties are used to explore how different device architectures and cooling strategies can be used to improve heat dissipation, namely cooling from the bottom side, top side, or double side cooling of β-Ga2O3 field-effect transistors.
The association of active and passive tobacco smoke exposure with chronic rhinosinusitis symptom severity: A cross-sectional study.

Background Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) causes a great deal of morbidity. There are a multitude of causal factors, though their precise contribution to symptom severity has yet to be defined. We hypothesized that exposure to both primary and secondhand tobacco smoke would correlate with more severe symptoms of CRS. Methods This is a prospective cross-sectional study performed at an academic tertiary care medical center from 2010 to 2013. A total of 85 consecutive patients with chronic sinusitis were screened; 70 with medically refractory CRS requiring functional Endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) were enrolled. Recent tobacco exposure was assessed using serum cotinine levels. Sinonasal mucosa was biopsied to assess ciliary architecture. Demographics, medical history, tobacco and environmental exposures, and computed tomography (CT) imaging were also collected. Two quality of life (QOL) surveys were administered: one disease specific, Sinonasal Outcomes Test-20 (SNOT-20), and one general, Short Form-12 (SF-12). Results were correlated with the aforementioned exposures. Results The 70 patients had an average age of 46 years, and 42% were male. Variables that correlated with worse SNOT-20 scores included serum cotinine (r = 0.43, p = 0.002), number of cigarettes smoked daily (r = 0.27, p = 0.03), and number of secondhand cigarettes exposed to per day (r = 0.29, p = 0.04). There were no significant correlations between SNOT-20 scores and Lund-MacKay or axonemal ultrastructural abnormalities (AUA)-ciliary scores. The two five-variable models best predicted disease-specific QOL. Conclusions Increased amounts of serum cotinine and primary and secondhand smoke exposure were associated with worse sinonasal QOL. This study establishes an objective relationship between smoke exposure and patient-perceived severity of CRS, emphasizing the importance of tobacco cessation counseling as part of management.
Testing for competitive balance

We present two tests for the hypothesis that a league is competitively balanced, identifying in each case the appropriate statistic as well as its sampling distribution. We then apply these tests to Major League Baseball and the National Football League. We demonstrate how these tests can be applied to full sports leagues, or to just intradivisional play, and to both single season and multiple season outcomes. We also show how one of our statistics is related to existing measures of competitive balance, and note the possibility that, because our statistics have known sampling distributions, knowledge may ultimately allow them to be transformed into measures that are comparable between leagues of different sizes and season lengths.
The Lyapunov exponent for products of infinite-dimensional random matrices

Consider a non-negative random matrix indexed by ℤd×ℤd, with independent rows, and such that the distribution is invariant under translation down the diagonal. Multiply together independent random matrices with this same law, and define the Lyapunov exponent λ as the exponential growth rate of the sum of the entries in the zero row. For some examples derived from Oriented Percolation, there is positive probability that λ equals the log of the expected value of the sum of entries in the zero row of the original random matrix. The proofs, which are not new, use random walk arguments. Some unsolved problems are described.
Ion-exchange chromatography of proteins : The effect of neutral polymers in the mobile phase

Abstract The addition of neutral water-soluble polymers such as polyethylene glycol to the eluent of standard ion-exchange chromatography systems affects the separations of proteins in a useful and predictable manner. The relative effects of various polymers are predictable on the basis of their hydrophobicities. Protein retention times are increased, especially for larger and/or more hydrophobic proteins, as predicted by the same order as protein precipitation by neutral polymers. Therefore, this “polymer enhanced chromatography” technique can be particularly useful for the separation of proteins or other biopolymers with the same isoelectric points but different sizes. Examples would include the separation of monomers from dimers and higher order aggregates, or of intact proteins from fragments. Examples of applications with model proteins and the separation of bovine somatotropin monomer and dimer are presented.
Performance of continuous-phase frequency shift keying under fading

A narrowband digital frequency modulation (FM) communications system (i.e., a continuous-phase frequency shift keying (CPFSK) system) is considered. The receiver for the digital FM demodulation employs a limiter-discriminator and an integrate and dump. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the bit error rate performance of a CPFSK in either Rayleigh or Rician fading environment.
Data-driven approaches to digital human modeling

Data-driven approach is an appealing way to depict people in a virtual world. The captured shape and movement data from real people are structured and combined to reproduce or create new samples in an intuitive and controllable way. We focus on the body shape modeling and elucidate the issues related to data-driven methods. The difficulty of adopting data-driven approach for human body shape modeling is due in part to the intrinsic articulated structure of the body. Since such internal structure is not measured with most of existing capture devices available today, it has to be calculated through estimation. We develop a framework for collecting and managing range scan data that automatically estimates this structure from user-tagged landmarks. By framing the captured and structurally annotated data so that statistic implicit is exploited for synthesizing new body shapes, our technique support time-saving generation of animatable body models with high realism.
Children’s Apperception Test (C.A.T.)

The Children’s Apperception Test (C.A.T.) is a projective measure for acquiring information about children’s personality and psychological processes. The test, in general, includes a series of 10 quasi-ambiguous pictures to which the child is asked to create a story. This assessment technique was developed from psychoanalytic theory and was designed to obtain information about psychological functioning through the specific mechanism of projection.
Content based photograph slide show with incidental music

In this paper, we proposed a new scheme to generate photograph slide show with incidental music based on the content of the photographs and music. Unlike existing photograph slide show software, which show the photographs one by one (perhaps with some fancy transition effects) with music in the background, our algorithm utilizes content analysis of the photographs and the incidental music. Firstly, low-quality photographs, such as blurred or under exposed, are filtered out by a photograph quality detector; and the rest of the photographs are grouped into a three-layer construction, namely, day, scene, and group of similar photographs (GoS). Incidental music is segmented based on its beats, and then aligned with photographs, which makes the photograph transitions occur at the beat position of the music. Various transition effects and transformation effects are applied based on the structure and content of the photographs. According to different users' preferences, several editing styles are also supported in our algorithm. The experimental results are very impressive according to the user study.
Protein-DNA interactions and nuclease-sensitive regions determine nucleosome positions on yeast plasmid chromatin.

To study mechanisms of nucleosome positioning, small circular plasmids were constructed, assembled into chromatin in vivo in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and their chromatin structures were analysed with respect to positions of nucleosomes and nuclease-sensitive regions. Plasmids used include insertions of the URA3 gene into the TRP1 gene of the TRP1ARS1 circular plasmid in the same (TRURAP) or opposite (TRARUP) orientation. The tRA3 gene has six precisely positioned, stable nucleosomes flanked by nucleasesensitive regions at the 5′ and 3′ ends of the gene. Three of these nucleosome positions do not depend on the flanking nuclease-sensitive regions, since they are formed at similar positions in a derivative plasmid (TUmidL) that contains the middle of the URA3 sequence but not the 5′ and 3′ ends. These positions are probably due to protein-DNA interactions. In both TRURAP and TRARUP, the positions of the nucleosomes on the TRP1 gene were, however, shifted compared with the positions on the parental TRP1ARS1 circle and TUmidL. These changes are interpreted to be due to changes in the positions of flanking nuclease-sensitive regions that might act as boundaries to position nucleosomes. Thus, two independent mechanisms for nucleosome positioning have been demonstrated in vivo. The ARS1 region contains the 3′ end of the TRP1 gene and the putative origin of replication. Since in TRURAP and TRARUP the TRP1 gene is interrupted, but the ARS1 region remains nuclease sensitive, this non-nucleosomal conformation of the ARS1 region probably reflects a chromatin structure important for replication.
Influence of a physiological infusion of prostaglandin F2α into postpartum cows with partially suppressed endogenous production of prostaglandins. 2. Interrelationships of hormonal, ovarian and uterine responses

On day of parturition (day 0), Brown Swiss cows were assigned to either a control untreated group (n=6) or one of two groups in which cows were treated twice daily from days 0 to 6 with Flunixin Meglumine (FM; 1 g/i.m. injection), a prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor. Cows treated with FM received a continuous infusion of either 0.9% saline (FM + saline; n=6) or prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) Tham salt (FM + PGF2α; n=6) into the descending aorta via a catheter inserted into the costoabdominal artery. In the FM + PGF2α group, PGF2α Tham salt was infused at a rate of 33.8 mg/day from days 1 to 3 and from days 7 to 10 and at a rate of 67.7 mg/day from days 4 to 6. Sterile 0.9% physiological saline vehicle was infused (46.5 ml/day) for a comparable period in the FM + saline group. Plasma concentrations of progesterone (P4), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol-17β (E2) were measured by RIA in samples collected once or twice daily between days 1 to 60 postpartum. Response curve of accumulated P4 concentrations during the first 60 days postpartum was higher (p<0.01) in control than in the two groups that received FM. However, profile of accumulated P4 in FM + PGF2α, which was similar to that of the FM + saline during the first 25 days, progressively increased following replacement with PGF2α, to levels that were similar to those of the control group thereafter (p<0.01). Profile of LH concentrations in the control group was higher (p<0.01) than in the FM + saline and FM + PGF2α groups and was associated with a higher variability of E2 (p<0.01). We concluded that systemic and local control of ovarian function may be affected by prostaglandins early postpartum in cattle.
Scratching of Elastic∕Plastic Materials With Hard Spherical Indenters

A mechanistic framework has been developed for interpreting scratch tests performed with spherical indenters on elastic/plastic materials. The pertinent scaling relations have been identified through a plastic analysis and the model has been subsequently calibrated by finite element calculations. The results show that the ratio of scratch force to normal force (or apparent friction coefficient) can be partitioned into two additive components: one due to interfacial friction and another associated with plastic deformation. The plastic component scales parabolically with the normal force and depends only weakly on the true (elastic) friction coefficient. A simple formula for the scratch force, based on the plastic analysis and the numerical results, has been derived. Finally, experimental measurements on two material standards commonly used for nanoindenter calibration have been used to verify the theoretical results.
Biogenic Magnetite in Stromatolites. II. Occurrence in Ancient Sedimentary Environments

Abstract In this paper we report the discovery of fossil bacterial, single-domain magnetite particles in ancient stromatolites. The biogenicity of the crystals was determined by the following criteria: (1) distinctive morphology and habit, (2) composition and (3) environment of deposition. Stromatolites ranging in age from the Middle Archean to Pleistocene, composed of both carbonate and chert, were analyzed for the presence of single-domain magnetite using rock magnetic methods. The granulometry and composition of the ultra-fine-grained magnetite crystals extracted were determined by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The oldest magnetofossils were extracted from stromatolitic chert of the Gunflint Iron Formation which is approximately 2000 Ma old. The implications of these findings and the potential uses of fossil bacterial magnetite in studies of the evolution of biomineralization and prokaryotic metabolic processes, paleomagnetism, and as an indicator of ancient oxygen levels are discussed. Bacterial magnetite represents the oldest evidence of biomineralization yet discovered in the fossil record.
Career Problems and Narcotics Addiction in the Health Professions: An Exploratory Study

(1967). Career Problems and Narcotics Addiction in the Health Professions: An Exploratory Study. International Journal of the Addictions: Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 191-206.
Effect of alternate-day steroid administration on adrenal function in allergic children

Abstract Twenty-four allergic children were given equivalent high and low doses of dexamethasone and prednisone on an alternate-day schedule, and adrenal function was determined by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) response tests before and at the end of each treatment period. Adrenal suppression was not demonstrated in prednisone-treated patients but did occur in those taking the larger dose of dexamethasone. Adrenal response tests with synthetic ACTH were done in another group of 24 asthmatic children who had required alternate-day prednisone for periods of 6 to 42 months. Only one patient of the group had impaired adrenal responsiveness. It is concluded that, in equivalent doses, prednisone has less adrenal suppressive activity than does dexamethasone and that long-term alternate-day prednisone administration in the doses used does not ordinarily produce an impaired adrenal response to exogenous ACTH.
An Empirical Analysis of State and Local Public Pension Plan Funded Ratio Change, 2001-2009

Between 2001 and 2009, all public pension plans suffered losses and saw a drop in their funded ratios. However, some plans saw a much smaller decline than others. In this study, we explore why the ratios fared so differently during this tumultuous period for pension plans. By examining the changes in funded ratio for 84 large public pension plans, we find that the differences can be mostly attributed to variations in annualized investment return and changes in investment return assumption, and to a lesser extent, to the required contributions paid by employers, the contribution rates of employees, and cost-of-living adjustment provisions. The results suggest that pension plans seeking to improve their funded ratios may need to revise their investment strategies, pay a higher percentage of their required contribution, require employees to pay more toward their pension benefit, and limit the use of automatic or consumer price index–linked cost-of-living adjustments.
Study of HSV-1 DNA species from trigeminal ganglia of rabbits during acute and latent infections.

Recurrent herpetic keratitis remains a major cause of corneal blindness in developed countries. A fundamental unanwered question regarding herpes simplex virus infection concerns the relationship between the virus and host cell DNA during latency. In the present study DNA was extracted from trigeminal ganglia during both acute and latent infection following ocular inoculation. Extracted, purified DNA was utilized for transfection and for hybridization studies using a 32P-labeled HSV-1 DNA probe. DNA extracted during acute infection was complete, linear and non-integrated. Autoradiographic patterns of DNA isolated during latent infection were suggestive of two separate DNA species.
The Solo as an Important Aspect of a Trip for Outdoor Leadership Development

Significant research has manifest the innumerable benefits associated with the many forms of outdoor programming (see Driver & Bruns, 1999; Driver, Nash, & Haas, 1987; Ewert, 1985; 1989; Ewert et al., 2000; Hendee & Dawson, 2002; Horwood, 1999; Johnson, 2002; Pierskalla, et al., 2004; Stein & Lee, 1995; Walker, Hull, & Roggenbuck, 1998). Nevertheless each program is unique and the specific components that make up each outdoor experience can vary from program to program or even experience to experience. There are, however, several key components that are commonplace and may even be thought of as a standard of outdoor programs when it comes to important components of an outdoor trip. The solo is one of these common components. The solo dates back to the days of Kurt Hahn and is an integral part of several outdoor adventure programs including Outward Bound (OB), National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Wilderness Education Association (WEA) (Knapp & Smith, 2005). The benefits of a solo experience associated with outdoor trips have also been highly documented (see Bobilya, 2004; Daniel, 2003, Daniel, Bobilya, & Kalisch, 2006; McAvoy, 2000; Nicholls, 2009; Sibthorp, 2000). Nicholls even stated that the solo â€œhas gained empirical credibility as a significant component of contemporary programmingâ€ (2009, p 1). However, Sibthorp (2000), when discussing the important components of an outdoor trip (the solo experience being one specific component), acknowledged that it was not surprising that trip components were beneficial to overall leadership development; however it was not understood how or why development occurred. Furthermore, when addressing the solo specifically there is an even greater lack of understanding (Maxted, 2005). Therefore, this study addresses the question of how the solo experience influences outdoor leadership development.
Theoretical Study of Neutral and Anionic Group III Nitride Clusters: MnNn (M = Al, Ga, and In; n = 4−6)

We report the results of a theoretical study of MnNn (M = Al, Ga, and In; n = 4, 5, 6) neutral and anionic clusters, focusing on the changes in structural and electronic properties upon the addition of an electron to the corresponding neutral clusters. Overall, the extra electron did not induce significant structural changes in AlnNn clusters, whereas it affected significantly the lowest energy configurations of GanNn and InnNn clusters. This may be attributed to the dominance of N−N bonds in GanNn and InnNn clusters in contrast to the dominance of Al−N bonds in AlnNn clusters. The atomic charge analysis showed that the extra electron is localized on the metal atoms, irrespective of the lowest energy structural configurations of these clusters.
Self-homodyne RF-optical LiNbO3 microdisk receiver

AbstractA novel RF-optical receiver architecture based on nonlinear optical modulation in a LiNbO 3 microdisk modulator is presented.This is the ﬁrst RF-optical receiver without high-speed electronic components for transmitted carrier links. We demonstrate receiveroperation by demodulating 50 Mb/s digital data from a 8.7 GHz carrier frequency. 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: RF-optical receiver; Self-homodyne; Nonlinear modulation; LiNbO 3 microdisk modulator 1. IntroductionIn homodyne and super-heterodyne RF receiverarchitectures local oscillators (LOs) and mixers are usedto down-convert and extract the baseband informationfrom the received RF signal. Due to a desire for reducedpart counts, size, weight and power consumption inhigh-carrier frequency short distance applications, self-homodyne and self-heterodyne systems have been pro-posed [1,2]. In a self-homodyne and self-heterodynetransmission system the transmitter broadcasts a RFmodulated signal and the local carrier so the base-band/IF signal can be down-converted by mixing the re-ceived carrier and modulated signal in a nonlineardevice (i.e., a self-mixer). The receiver power consump-tion, phase noise, and complexity are reduced by elimi-nating the LO and the mixer. Although such anapproach suﬀers from reduced power eﬃciency, it hasbeen shown that it can lower overall cost and complexityin mm-wave local area networks and indoor wirelesstransmission systems [1]. In this paper we demonstratethat the second-order nonlinearity of an optical micro-disk modulator, biased at its maximum transmissionpoint, may be used to realize the mixing process requiredto extract the baseband signal from the transmitted car-rier RF signal.2. Self-homodyne RF-optical receiverA self-homodyne RF-optical receiver replaces thefunction of a single-ended diode or FET mixer in atransmitted carrier wireless link with a sensitive opticalmodulator that performs down-conversion in the opticaldomain. In this approach the nonlinear dependence oftransmitted optical power (P
Parcellation of cortical afferents to three distinct sectors in the parahippocampal gyrus of the rhesus monkey: an anatomical and neurophysiological study.

The posterior parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) is comprised of three distinct cortical areas based on cytoarchitecture, connectivity, and neurophysiological response properties. Fluorescent retrograde tracers placed in each PHG area demonstrated unique patterns of cortical afferent input to areas TH, TL, and TF. Area TF receives inputs from the multimodal cortices of the superior temporal sulcus including areas PGa, TPO, and MST, from the visuospatial parietal area PG-Opt, and from visual areas V3A and dorsal V4. Area TL receives afferents from the inferotemporal region including visual areas TE1 and TE2 as well as from areas TEa, IPa, and FST in the lower bank and depth of the superior temporal sulcus. In contrast, the input to area TH is from the rostral part of superior temporal gyrus, including the auditory association areas TS1-3, and from the middle sector of area TPO in the superior temporal sulcus. Frontal and cingulate areas also project to the PHG in largely differential patterns. To further investigate this a correlative electrophysiological study of the three PHG areas resulted in a confirmation of these differential cortical inputs such that visually responsive neurons were found in areas TF and TL, auditory responsive neurons or bimodal auditory/visual-responsive neurons in area TH, and somatosensory-responsive neurons at the TF/TL border. Since each PHG area also receives differential hippocampal input, these data suggest that the processing of unimodal or multimodal information may be related to memory processing functions that are largely segregated within areas TH, TL, and TF.
T antigen transformation reveals Tp53/RB-dependent route to PLAC1 transcription activation in primary fibroblasts

PLAC1 (placenta-specific 1) is a gene that is placenta specific and transcribed very little, if at all, in any somatic tissue. It is nevertheless expressed in many cancer cell lines. To understand how cancer cells may activate the gene in nonexpressing cells, we found that a model is provided by classical transformation of normal fibroblasts by SV40 T antigen. T antigen derepressed the PLAC1 P1 promoter, with Tp53 and RB exerting critical and opposing actions and nuclear receptors, retinoid X receptor and liver X receptor, sharply increasing the level of expression.
The Right Side of the Sixties: Reexamining Conservatism’s Decade of Transformation

What Happened to Conservatism in the 1960s? L.J.Gifford & D.K.Williams PART I: THE POLITICS OF RACE Courting Conservatism: White Resistance and the Ideology of Race in the 1960s S.R.Rolph 'Inequality for All and Mint Juleps, Too': White Social Sororities and 'Freedom of Association' in the United States M.L.Freeman 'Build, Baby, Build': Conservative Black Nationalists, Free Enterprise, and the Nixon Administration J.D.Farrington PART II: SHAPING CONSERVATIVE IDEOLOGY Fellow Travelers: Overlap Between 'Mainstream' and 'Extremist' Conservatives in the Early 1960s S.Brenner From Without To Within the Movement: Consolidating the Conservative Think Tank in the 'Long Sixties' J.Stahl PART III: GOD AND COUNTRY The Righteousness of Difference: Orthodox Jews and the Establishment Clause, 1965-1971 R.D.Rubin Richard Nixon's Religious Right: Catholics, Evangelicals, and the Creation of an Anti-Secular Alliance D.K.Williams PART IV: THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA 'Girded with a Moral and Spiritual Revival': The Christian Anti-Communism Crusade and Conservative Politics L.J.Gifford Disarming the Devil: The Conservative Campaign against a Nuclear Detente in the 1960s M.Brenes Defending Freedom in Vietnam: A Conservative Dilemma S.Offenbach Evangelical Internationalism: A Conservative Worldview for the Age of Globalization A.Preston PART V: THE CONSERVATIVE TRIUMPH IN THE GOP Spiro T. Agnew: The Decline of Moderates and Rise of the Republican Right J.P.Coffey Epilogue: Looking Back on the Decade in Which Conservatism 'Grew Up' L.J.Gifford & DK.Williams
The effect of urban leaf area on summertime urban surface kinetic temperatures: A Terre Haute case study

Abstract The urban heat island effect (UHIE) has been documented in many temperate region cities. One cause of the UHIE is the replacement of green spaces with impervious materials as urbanization commences and the city builds up and fills in. During the summer, elevated urban temperatures result in increased electricity usage, higher pollution levels, and greater resident discomfort. Through evapotranspiration and the interception of solar radiation, increasing urban tree canopy cover can help mitigate the UHIE. While this is universally accepted, the exact statistical relationship between urban leaf area (as measured by leaf area index, LAI) and urban temperatures has not been extensively studied. In a case study conducted in urban/suburban Terre Haute, Indiana, USA, simple linear regression was employed to quantify the relationship between in situ ceptometer LAI measurements and surface kinetic temperatures (SKTs) measured using thermal satellite imagery acquired at 1100 local time. For the 143 sample sites located in the study area, LAI accounted for 62% of the variation in surface temperature. For every unit increase in LAI, surface temperature decreased by 1.2 °C.