cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biases in self-reported height and weight measurements and their effects on modeling health outcomes.

Abstract Self-reported anthropometrics are often used as proxies for measured anthropometrics, but research has shown that heights and weights are often misreported. Using the Study on global AGEing and adult health, I analyze misreporting patterns of height, weight, and BMI in China, India, Russia, and South Africa. Adjustments of self-reported heights and weights using demographic, social, and anthropometric characteristics are evaluated and found to be useful in studying the distribution of anthropometrics within a population. Measured, self-reported, and adjusted BMI are then compared in logistic regression models on the reporting of health outcomes, as well as the resulting accuracy of individual prediction. When BMI is used as a continuous variable in models of health outcomes, measured, self-reported, and adjusted BMI produce similar coefficient estimates, and so self-reported data would be a natural choice because of its accessibility and convenience. In other applications, such as models using categorical BMI and individual prediction using either continuous or categorical BMI, self-reported data in lieu of measured data might not be accurate enough, but adjustments could serve as a potential compromise.
Evaluation of Space Debris Mitigation Measures by Neutrosophic MULTIMOORA Method

Rockets and satellites have been sent to space for many missions during the rapidly advancing space adventure of humanity since 1957. These objects, which have lost their activity over time, move in orbit as space debris and move out of control. They can damage other objects in orbit and create new debris. This triggers the increasing population of space debris. There are a number of measures and predictions for space debris that are taken into consideration and need to be addressed from a common holistic point of view for the future of humanity. However, no space debris has been taken or removed from orbit yet. This paper aims to draw attention to the decision about space debris mitigation measures. Three different space debris mitigation measures are evaluated by using the neutrosophic MULTIMOORA method according to the five conflicting criteria. At the last step, the measures are ranked in descending order.
Femoral vein transposition is a durable hemodialysis access for patients who have exhausted upper extremity options.

Abstract Objective Access surgeons often encounter patients with end-stage renal disease who have exhausted all upper extremity hemodialysis access options. Although the lower extremity is often the next alternative, prosthetic lower extremity access can be prone to infectious complications and historically has poor patency. We describe our contemporary experience with an autogenous femoral vein transposition (FVT) arteriovenous fistula. Methods All FVTs performed at an academic medical center from 2006 to 2018 were analyzed. FVTs were placed after upper extremity access was deemed no longer possible by the treating surgeon. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and access history were described, and perioperative and short-term outcomes, including maturation, were analyzed. Results Twenty-one patients treated with FVT were identified. The mean age was 55.3 ± 11.1 years; 23.8% were female, and 71.4% were African American. The median body mass index was 27.1 kg/m2 (range, 17-46 kg/m2). Comorbidities included hypertension (100%), diabetes (61.9%), coronary artery disease (57.1%), congestive heart failure (47.6%), and obesity (38.1%). Twenty patients had at least one prior arm access, whereas 13 patients (61.9%) had more than three prior arm accesses. Seventeen patients (81%) had central venous stenosis or occlusion confirmed on preoperative imaging. The mean operative time was 250 minutes (range, 144-406 minutes), and estimated blood loss was 140.5 mL. Preanastomotic tapering was performed in 20 (95.2%) patients. Four (19%) patients returned to the operating room within 30 days. Thirty-day postoperative cardiac and wound complications occurred in 9.5% and 19% of patients, respectively. Distal arterial ischemia requiring revascularization occurred in one (4.8%) patient at 7 months. There were no access-related infections that resulted in fistula ligation. There was no mortality at 30 days. Successful fistula maturation rate at 6 months was 88.9%. At 1 year, primary and secondary patency rates were 65.9%, and 94.7%, respectively. Conclusions Although autogenous FVT performed in patients without upper extremity options has a significant wound complication rate, it is associated with an outstanding maturation rate and excellent patency rates at 1 year. This access should be readily considered in hemodialysis patients without upper extremity access options.
Introduction to the Oral Cavity

The oral cavity plays a critical role as the seeder and gatekeeper of the microbiome that populates the continuum of mucosal surfaces of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as that of the respiratory tract. The mouth has a variety of discrete niches and environmental conditions (microhabitats) that select for and discriminate against a vast array of microorganisms that ultimately determine the microbiome. The oral microbiome is an important contributor to host health and refers specifically to the microorganisms that reside on or in the human oral cavity and its contiguous mucosal surfaces to the distal esophagus. The oral microbiome is composed of approximately 700 species of bacteria, and also includes viruses, fungi, protozoa and archaea associated with the varied microhabitats that define the oral microbial ecosystem. The normal microbiota of the mouth is responsible for maintaining homeostasis of the oral cavity, but is also responsible for two of the most common diseases of bacterial etiology in humans—dental caries and periodontal diseases. Oral diseases have also been linked to systemic chronic diseases including: cardiovascular disease, stroke, abnormal pregnancy outcomes, diabetes, aspiration pneumonia, cancers and Alzheimer’s disease. This Chapter aims to highlight the unique features of the main niches that compose the oral cavity and have influence on its microbiome composition.
Impact of transportation interventions on health care outcomes: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION Lack of reliable transportation can be a barrier to keeping appointments or accessing other health care services. Increasingly, insurers and health care delivery systems subsidize transportation services for patients. This systematic review synthesizes existing research on nonemergency medical transportation interventions. METHODS We searched 3 databases (Embase, PubMed, Google) for studies of health care sector-sponsored programs that provided patients assistance with nonemergency transportation and directly assessed the impact of transportation assistance on health and health care utilization outcomes. Studies meeting inclusion criteria were graded for quality using standard grading criteria. FINDINGS Eight studies met all inclusion criteria. Most were rated as low quality. All studies included examined process or health care utilization outcomes, such as uptake of transportation services, return for follow-up, or missed appointment rates; only 1 included health outcomes, such as illness severity and blood pressure. Results were mixed. More rigorous studies showed low patient uptake of transportation services and inconsistent impacts on health and utilization outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Despite considerable interest in subsidizing transportation services to improve health for patients facing transportation barriers, little rigorously conducted research has demonstrated the impact of transportation services on health or health care utilization. Some extant literature suggests that transportation assistance is more likely to be effective when offered with other interventions to reduce social and economic barriers to health.
Marine Ecosystem Analysis of Gouldsboro and Dyer Bays, Maine

In the early 1980s, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) initiated an ecosystem analysis of Gouldsboro Bay in eastern Maine as part of a planned marine sanctuary. The original report to NOAA by Walter H. Adey was not published after the sanctuary concept for Maine was abandoned. Because significant human-related climatic and ecosystem changes are underway in the Gulf of Maine, that report provides valuable baseline data and is included as the Appendix to this volume. After qualitatively describing the geological, physical, chemical, and biogeographical features of Gouldsboro Bay and adjacent Dyer Bay, we quantitatively describe the principal bay ecological communities with data collected during the 1981–1983 ecosystem assessment as well as additional measurements taken within the past decade. We then undertake a comparison of the primary productivity of these bays with the Google Earth Pro polygon tool to determine component areas.Benthic taxa are the dominant primary producers in both bays: rockweeds (primarily Ascophyllum nodosum, with Fucus vesiculosus secondary) in the intertidal; Irish moss (Chondrus crispus, with Fucus distichus secondary) as a near monoculture in the lowest intertidal (infralittoral); kelps (primarily Saccharina latissima, Laminaria digitata, and Agarum clathratum) in the rocky subtidal; and the angiosperm Zostera marina (seagrass) in soft bottom substrate. The rocky intertidal, dominated by Ascophyllum with a specific productivity of 10.6 kg/m2/year, provides nearly one-third of all bay productivity. Because of the proportionally greater shore length relative to area of Dyer Bay, it has 45% greater productivity for its surface area than Gouldsboro Bay. Kelp has a specific productivity value of 7.2 kg/m2/year, and Zostera of 1.2 kg/m2/year. The kelps provide approximately 20% of Gouldsboro Bay’s primary productivity and 35% of that of Dyer Bay. Zostera provides roughly 20% of total primary productivity in Gouldsboro Bay and 12% in Dyer Bay. With a primary productivity of 1.73 kg/m2/year, salt marshes provide only 3.7% (Gouldsboro) and 2.6% (Dyer) of total primary productivity. With a primary productivity of 0.06 kg/m2/year, plankton account for 23.8% of Gouldsboro Bay and 16% of Dyer Bay primary productivity.
TO CANNULATE OR NOT TO CANNULATE, A VA-ECMO SUCCESS STORY

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is an increasingly utilized treatment for refractory cardiogenic shock. Despite advances in ECMO technology, however, complication rates and mortality remain high. Risk scores have been developed in an attempt to improve outcomes. It remains
Rank-Regularized Measurement Operators for Compressive Imaging

Compressive imaging is used to acquire a small number of measurements of a scene, and perform effective reconstruction or high-level inference with purely data-driven models using deep learning. Although random projection has some advantages, we can get improved performance by learning the multiplexing patterns, also known as the measurement operator/matrix. However, at the time of training, it is not clear what the number of measurements should be. In this paper, we answer the following important question: How can we find the optimal number of measurements as well as the measurement matrix that can maintain a high-level of performance? Given the cost per measurement, our solution is to use regularization functions to encourage low-rank solutions for the learned measurement operator. We demonstrate that our solutions are effective on both image recognition and reconstruction problems.
17 – Sexual Disorders

Publisher Summary Behavior analytic approaches to sexual disorders have as their bases the relationships among habituation, classical and operant conditioning, and overt sexual behavior. Learning-based accounts of sexual behavior focus on the importance of both conditioning and habituation of sexual arousal. Further, theories of human behavior which are not explicitly based on the principles of learning also rely on the assumption that, at least to some extent, sexual behavior and arousal are learned. In order to understand the importance of behavior analysis, empirical research should demonstrate that the principles of learning and behavior are involved in sexual behavior.. Functional assessment of sexual disorders should identify the possible respondent and operant mechanisms that may lie behind problematic sexual behavior in order to identify alternate appropriate, satisfying forms of sexual behavior that service the same function as the problematic sexual behavior. Additionally, therapists should identify appropriate forms of sexual behavior, either in the client's current or past behavioral repertoire, as well as appropriate forms of sexual expression that are presently not in the client's repertoire.
Measurement Theory with Instruments Treated Partially Quantum Mechanically

Starting from a general Weyl system, projections onto minimum uncertainty states are derived. The corresponding conditionings (instruments) are defined and interpreted physically, giving a generalization of some previous results for Weyl systems by other authors. Sequential and simultaneous instruments are discussed. The observables corresponding to the instruments are discussed and a natural sense in which action-at-a-distance is an inherent consequence of the uncertainty principle is explored.
Plato on women in sport

In a way, there is nothing surprising about Plato’s promotion of sport for women in Republic and Laws; it is logically implied by his philosophical theories. In another way, Plato’s vision of femal...
Critical moments: pre-service mathematics teachers’ narrative arcs and mathematical orientations over 20 years

This study explores narratives about critical moments in mathematics learning written by K-8 pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) in the United States over a 20-year period. These critical moments, such as a single memorable task, course, test, or comment from a teacher, had a powerful and sustained impact on PSTs’ mathematics identities, which they carried with them as they entered the teaching profession. We classified narratives using McCulloch et al. (Sch Sci Math 113(8):380–389, 2013) and Drake’s (J Math Teach Educ 9(6):579–608, 2006) categories and found a potentially new category, Taking the Reins. We also classified PSTs’ mathematics orientations as either relational (oriented toward creative problem solving and conceptual understanding) or instrumental (enacting rote procedures without meaning) (Skemp in Math Teach 77(1):20–26, 1976). Many PSTs identified a causal relationship between their mathematics orientations and narrative arcs: relational learning opportunities encouraged positive narratives, while instrumental learning opportunities either resulted in negative narrative arcs or positive but fragile mathematics identities that crumbled under minor stress. We found little variation over time in the nature and prevalence of the narrative arcs and mathematics orientations, suggesting that any changes in mathematics teaching practices over time were not reflected in students’ learning experiences.
Metabolic signatures of regulation by phosphorylation and acetylation

Abstract Acetylation and phosphorylation are highly conserved post-translational modifications (PTMs) that regulate cellular metabolism, yet how metabolic control is shared between these PTMs is unknown. Here we analyze transcriptome, proteome, acetylome, and phosphoproteome datasets in E.coli, S.cerevisiae, and mammalian cells across diverse conditions using CAROM, a new approach that uses genome-scale metabolic networks and machine-learning to classify regulation by PTMs. We built a single machine-learning model that accurately distinguished reactions controlled by each PTM in a condition across all three organisms based on reaction attributes (AUC>0.8). Our model uncovered enzymes regulated by phosphorylation during a mammalian cell-cycle, which we validate using phosphoproteomics. Interpreting the machine-learning model using game-theory uncovered enzyme properties including network connectivity, essentiality, and condition-specific factors such as maximum flux that differentiate regulation by phosphorylation from acetylation. The conserved and predictable partitioning of metabolic regulation identified here between these PTMs can enable rational engineering of regulatory circuits. Graphical Abstract
Intergenerational Transmission of Traumatic Stress and Resilience Among Cambodian Immigrant Families Along Coastal Alabama: Family Narratives

Purpose: Intergenerational transmission of psychological trauma is an ongoing global public health concern. Cambodia experienced ∼4 years of genocide, causing about 2 million deaths. Many survivors fled and resettled in the United States where they continued to face the psychological and relational consequences of forced displacement, with limited access to mental health treatment. This study employed an ecological social determinants of health framework to explore how resettled families discussed traumatic experiences and resilience transmitted across three generations. Methods: Narrative inquiry-guided, in-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with intergenerational families: five grandparents, six parents, and nine adult children. The interview protocol included developing detailed family genograms that facilitated the sharing of experiences of living through the Cambodian genocide (1975-1979) and resettlement to the United States in the 1980s. A thematic data analysis was conducted across individual and family experiences before, during, and after the genocide and resettlement. Results: The findings highlight parent-child relationships as the primary mechanism of intergenerational transmission of traumatic stress and resilience among Cambodian immigrant families. Specifically, high parental expectations, authoritarian parenting, corporal punishment, and submissive communication styles were reported. On the other hand, strong bonds and less hierarchy between parents and children were found to be resilience factors among this population. Conclusions: The results of this qualitative study underscore the need for a systemic mental health conceptualization for practitioners working with resettled Cambodian families to overcome the cycle of intergenerational transmission of traumatic stress and promote resilience postresettlement.
Identification of a novel statovirus in a faecal sample from a calf with enteric disease.

A novel clade of RNA viruses was identified in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract by next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetically, these viruses are related to the genera Tombusviridae (plant viruses) and Flaviviridae, which includes mammalian, avian and insect hosts. Named in line with their characterization as stool-associated Tombus-like viruses, it is unclear if statoviruses infect mammals or are dietary in origin. Here, metagenomic sequencing of faecal material collected from a 10-week-old calf with enteric disease found that 20 % of the reads mapped to a de novo-assembled 4 kb contig with homology to statoviruses. Phylogenetic analysis of the statovirus genome found a clear evolutionary relationship with statovirus A, but, with only 47 % similarity, we propose that the statovirus sequence presents a novel species, statovirus F. A TaqMan PCR targeting statovirus F performed on faecal material found a cycle threshold of 11, suggesting a high titre of virus shed from the calf with enteric disease. A collection of 48 samples from bovine enteric disease diagnostic submissions were assayed by PCR to investigate statovirus F prevalence and 6 of 48 (12.5 %) were positive. An ELISA to detect antibodies to the coat protein found that antibodies to statovirus F were almost ubiquitous in bovine serum. Combined, the PCR and ELISA results suggest that statovirus F commonly infects cattle. Further research is needed to elucidate the aetiological significance of statovirus infection.
The impact of biosimilar insulins on the diabetes landscape

The cost of diabetes care in the United States continues to rise, with insulin costs growing rapidly. Accessibility and affordability of these life-saving medications are concerns for providers and...
Oral D-mannose treatment suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis via induction of regulatory T cells.

Abstract D-mannose (D-m) is a glucose epimer found in natural products, especially fruits. In mouse models of diabetes and airway inflammation, D-m supplementation via drinking water attenuated pathology by modifying cellular energy metabolism, leading to the activation of latent transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), which in turn induced T regulatory cells (Tregs). Given that Tregs are important in controlling neuroinflammation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and likely in multiple sclerosis (MS), we hypothesized that D-m could also suppress EAE. We found that D-m delayed disease onset and reduced disease severity in two models of EAE. Importantly, D-m treatment prevented relapses in a relapsing-remitting model of EAE, which mimics the most common clinical manifestation of MS. EAE suppression was accompanied by increased frequency of CD4+FoxP3+ Tregs in the central nervous system, suggesting that EAE suppression resulted from Treg cell induction by D-m. These findings suggest that D-m has the potential to be a safe and low-cost complementary therapy for MS.
Section B Fire and Explosion - A Study of Flame Spread in Engineered Cardboard Fuel Beds Part I: Correlations and Observations of Flame Spread

Wind-aided laboratory fires spreading through laser-cut cardboard fuel beds were instrumented and analyzed for physical processes associated with spread. Flames in the spanwise direction appeared as a regular series of peaks and troughs that scaled directly with flame length. Flame structure in the stream-wise direction fluctuated with the forward advection of coherent parcels that originated near the rear edge of the flame zone. Thermocouples arranged longitudinally in the fuel beds revealed the frequency of temperature fluctuations decreased with flame length but increased with wind speed. The downstream extent of these fluctuations from the leading flame edge scaled with Froude number and flame zone depth. The behaviors are remarkably similar to those of boundary layers, suggesting a dominant role for buoyancy in determining wildland fire spread.
Collagen nerve guide tubes in the rat septohippocampal pathway

Synthetic porous collagen tubes were implanted into the rat fimbria in order to determine whether such prostheses will permit axonal growth in the mature mammalian central nervous system (CNS). The tubes were found to slowly degrade over 4 weeks. In the majority of cases a distinct tissue core occupied the lumen of the tube and extended from the rostral (septal) end to the caudal (hippocampal) end. The core consisted of cellular aggregates of various cell types and blood vessels. In addition, the presence of axons within the tube lumen was demonstrated at both light and electron microscopic levels. Fibers within the tubes were visualized with noradrenergic histofluorescence and with neurofilament immunohistochemistry. Pretreatment of the tubes with nerve growth factor (NGF) resulted in circumferential disposition of the tissue core and an increase in acetylcholinesterase activity associated with the tube but no obvious change in axonal regeneration. No evidence was obtained for reinnervation of the hippocampal formation by cholinergic or noradrenergic fibers. These results indicate that porous collagen tubes will persist for several weeks within the mature rat CNS and can support axonal growth.
Quasicritical brain dynamics on a nonequilibrium Widom line.

Is the brain really operating at a critical point? We study the nonequilibrium properties of a neural network which models the dynamics of the neocortex and argue for optimal quasicritical dynamics on the Widom line where the correlation length and information transmission are optimized. We simulate the network and introduce an analytical mean-field approximation, characterize the nonequilibrium phase transitions, and present a nonequilibrium phase diagram, which shows that in addition to an ordered and disordered phase, the system exhibits a ``quasiperiodic'' phase corresponding to synchronous activity in simulations, which may be related to the pathological synchronization associated with epilepsy.
Composition of coordinated web services

The Web services architecture defines separate specifications for the composition and the coordination of Web services. BPEL is a language for creating service compositions in the form of business processes, whereas the WS-Coordination framework defines coordination protocols for distributed activities. In this paper, we investigate the combination of these two aspects to compose coordinated Web services. We argue for a policy-based approach to address this problem and introduce a new model and middleware that enables the flexible integration of diverse coordination types into (existing) process-based Web services compositions.
Motion estimation of a rigid planar patch: a robust computational technique

Robust computing procedures for recovering the motion parameters of a planar patch are presented. Two new concepts are introduced: a virtual plane that is normal to the translational vector and the ratio of the depths of a featured point at two different times. These two concepts drastically simplify the analysis and lead to simple and robust procedures for recovering the motion parameters. The robustness of the technique is discussed for each step involved. Twelve different sets of motion parameters are used to test the technique. Results using real images are provided. >
Energetic particles in solar flares

The principal properties of energetic particles accelerated in solar flares are reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on the high energy flare component whose acceleration is often referred to as second phase acceleration. Stochastic Fermi acceleration is treated analytically, and the results of the computation are compared with particle and gamma ray data to deduce information on the timing of the acceleration, the spectrum of the particles and the energy content of the nucleonic component. A discussion of 3He and heavy element abundances is also presented.
Comparison between GPS radio occultation electron densities and in situ satellite observations

Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) electron densities are compared with collocated in situ observations from the CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) and Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellites. The comparison is restricted to observations occurring within 2∘ latitude and longitude and 15 min local time. The in situ observations occur at altitudes of ∼300–800 km, and the results of the present study represent the first global comparison of COSMIC electron densities at altitudes ranging from near the F region peak to the topside ionosphere. The correlation coefficient between the COSMIC and in situ observations is greater than 0.90, indicating an overall good agreement between GPS RO electron densities and CHAMP and C/NOFS satellite observations. Furthermore, when averaged over all latitudes and local times, we find a near-zero mean bias and root-mean-square difference of typically less than ±30% between the COSMIC electron densities and collocated in situ observations. The overall good agreement demonstrates that the COSMIC GPS RO observations provide an accurate measure of electron density in the topside ionosphere. The results also reveal a systematic structure to the error in the equatorial and low-latitude daytime ionosphere. This structure is related to the equatorial ionization anomaly and is consistent with the error introduced by the Abel inversion spherical symmetry assumption used to retrieve the COSMIC electron density profiles. The present study thus provides direct observational evidence of the Abel inversion error on GPS RO electron densities.
The constraints on N=1 supergravities and type I superstrings from 2-loop chiral anomalies

Abstract N =1 supergravities with SO (2 2 n +1 ) gauge groups are local chiral anomaly free at 1-loop in D =4 n +2 dimensions ( n ≥0), as are SO (32) type I superstrings in 10 D . We show that at 2-loops only D =6 and D =10 theories remain anomaly free, so a generalized Adler-Bardeen theorem continues to hold in these cases when the Green-Schwarz mechanism is used to cancel subleading and mixed anomalies.
THE MICROECONOMICS OF REFERRAL AND REINTEGRATION: A PARADIGM FOR EVALUATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

The term "Special Education" (SE), as used in the United States, is currently reserved to describe a host of educational and related clinical activities for handicapped populations. As a service delivery system, SE is directed toward a wide array of mental, physical, and behavioral pupil characteristics. The diversity of administrative structures subsumed by the concept is such as to defy generalizations pertaining to salient defining criteria. However, both policymakers and practitioners tend to allude to SE as if to communicate a unified, standardized, and replicable organization and instructional delivery system. Similarly, the term "Special Education Evaluation" is frequently used to imply an attempt to draw conclusions about the SE enterprise in general - ignoring the variation that naturally exists in operationalizing SE among school districts. It is common to refer to SE programs by alluding to the categorical labels of the pupils they are designed to service. Hence, we find reference to Learning Disabilities (LD) programs, Mental Retardation (MR) programs, and the like. Added confusion exists in the practice of referring to such programs by using administrative variables as identifiers, while implicitly inferring instructional characteristics (e.g., Resource Room, Special Class, Mainstreaming programs). This latter practice apparently ignores the overlaps that exist in instructional practices across and within administrative arrangements (Semmel, Gottlieb, & Robinson, 1979). It suffices to assert that there is no current universal set of defining features that adequately describe pupil characteristics and instructional interventions operationally included under the rubric of special education in the United States. There is no currently acceptable, empirically or theoretically based scheme for uniquely matching specific instructional activities to unique characteristics of mentally and/or behaviorally handicapped pupils in the schools. This paper discusses the problems inherent in attempting to evaluate the SE enterprise rather than specific, local arrangements for instructing handicapped children. It argues first that these problems arise from essentially uncritical assumptions about the relationship between rules of inference in experimental science and evaluation of activities generated by public policy. Moreover, these evaluation problems are viewed as being maintained by an invalid application of what might be termed an "ed-psychometric" scientific paradigm (Shapiro, 1984). Classical psychometric orientations tend to limit evaluation research to
Identifying the levels of strategy for a college or university

Abstract Little work has been done to date in applying the concept of strategy to non-profit organizations. This article focuses on strategic planning in the higher education setting and identifies the key strategic decisions areas for a college or university. Four levels of strategy are discussed and contrasted with the three levels typically used to described a complex, divisionalized business firm. Specific decision issues are identified for each strategy level and compared, where appropriate, to similar issues in the business sector. Finally, several avenues of research are suggested to enable better understanding of strategy content and process in institutions of higher education.
Two-method measurement for adolescent obesity epidemiology: reducing the bias in self-report of height and weight.

Abstract Background Despite validation studies demonstrating substantial bias, epidemiologic studies typically use self-reported height and weight as primary measures of body mass index because of feasibility and resource limitations. Purpose To demonstrate a method for calculating accurate and precise estimates that use body mass index when objectively measuring height and weight in a full sample is not feasible. Methods As part of a longitudinal study of adolescent health, 1,840 adolescents (ages 12–18) self-reported their height and weight during telephone surveys. Height and weight was measured for 407 of these adolescents. Sex-specific, age-adjusted obesity status was calculated from self-reported and from measured height and weight. Prevalence and predictors of obesity were estimated using self-reported data, measured data, and multiple imputation (of measured data). Results Among adolescents with self-reported and measured data, the obesity prevalence was lower when using self-report compared with actual measurements ( p Conclusions The two-method measurement design offers researchers a technique to reduce the bias typically inherent in self-reported height and weight without needing to collect measurements on the full sample. This technique enhances the ability to detect real, statistically significant differences, while minimizing the need for additional resources.
Aerobic Oxidation of Formaldehyde Catalyzed by Polyvanadotungstates

Three tetra-n-butylammonium (TBA) salts of polyvanadotungstates, [n-Bu4N]6[PW9V3O40] (PW9V3), [n-Bu4N]5H2PW8V4O40 (PW8V4), and [n-Bu4N]4H5PW6V6O40·20H2O (PW6V6), have been synthesized and shown to be effective catalysts for the aerobic oxidation of formaldehyde to formic acid under ambient conditions. These complexes, characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis, exhibit a catalytic activity for this reaction comparable to those of other polyoxometalates. Importantly, they are more effective in the presence of water than the metal oxide-supported Pt and/or Au nanoparticles traditionally used as catalysts for formaldehyde oxidation in the gas phase. The polyvanadotungstate-catalyzed oxidation reactions are first-order in formaldehyde, parabolic-order (slow, fast, and slow again) in catalyst, and zero-order in O2. Under optimized conditions, a turnover number of ∼57 has been obtained. These catalysts can be recycled and reu...
Identification of preferential target sites for human DNA methyltransferases

DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) play an important role in establishing and maintaining DNA methylation. Aberrant expression of DNMTs and their isoforms has been found in many types of cancer, and their contribution to aberrant DNA methylation has been proposed. Here, we generated HEK 293T cells stably transfected with each of 13 different DNMTs (DNMT1, two DNMT3A isoforms, nine DNMT3B isoforms and DNMT3L) and assessed the DNA methylation changes induced by each DNMT. We obtained DNA methylation profiles of DNA repetitive elements and 1505 CpG sites from 808 cancer-related genes. We found that DNMTs have specific and overlapping target sites and their DNA methylation target profiles are a reflection of the DNMT domains. By examining H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 modifications in the 808 gene promoter regions using promoter ChIP-on-chip analysis, we found that specific de novo DNA methylation target sites of DNMT3A1 are associated with H3K4me3 modification that are transcriptionally active, whereas the specific target sites of DNMT3B1 are associated with H3K27me3 modification that are transcriptionally inactive. Our data suggest that different DNMT domains are responsible for targeting DNA methylation to specific regions of the genome, and this targeting might be associated with histone modifications.
The determination of uranium in natural waters at ppb levels by thin-film x-ray fluorescence spectrometry after coprecipitation with an iron dibenzyldithiocarbamate carrier complex

Summary The preconcentration of uranium from natural waters at μg l -1 levels with an iron dibenzyldithiocarbamate carrier complex followed by vacuum filtration, collection of the precipitate as a thin-film and wavelength-dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry is described. Ultraviolet irradiation was utilized to reduce the effect of humic substances so that filtration of larger volumes of sample became possible and lower amounts of uranium could be determined. Coprecipitation was most effective at pH 4 with a relative percent recovery of 94% or better determined from acid digestion of the precipitates and furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. A detection limit of 0.4 μg l -1 was achieved for 500-ml water samples with a counting time of 300 s. Of the ions tested (Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , Na + , K + , SO 2- 4 , Cl - ) none were observed to interfere at concentrations of 100 ppm or less. The applicability of the method to environmental water samples was assessed by spiking actual water samples and determining the amount of uranium present. The results showed the method to be reliable and applicable to environmental water samples.
L1 retrotransposition in nondividing and primary human somatic cells

Whether long interspersed element-1 (L1 or LINE-1) retrotransposition can occur in quiescent, nondividing, and/or terminally differentiated somatic cells has remained an unanswered fundamental question in human genetics. Here, we used a ubiquitously active phosphoglycerate kinase-1 promoter to drive the expression of a highly active human L1 element from an adenovirus-L1 hybrid vector. This vector system achieved retrotransposition in up to 91% of actively growing immortalized cells, and we demonstrated that L1 retrotransposition can be suppressed by the reverse transcriptase inhibitor 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine. This adenovirus vector enabled efficient delivery of the L1 element into differentiated primary human somatic cells and G1/S-arrested cells, resulting in retrotransposition in both cases; however, it was not detected in G0-arrested cells. Thus, these data indicate that L1 retrotransposition can occur in nondividing somatic cells.
Quantifying the Shapes of U.S. Landfalling Tropical Cyclone Rain Shields

Tropical cyclones (TCs) produce complex rainfall patterns that are difficult to predict due to atmospheric and land surface forcings. This study utilizes geographic information systems to spatially analyze radar returns and calculate several metrics that quantify the shapes of TC rain shields. Three stepwise discriminant analyses are performed to determine which of the shape metrics distinguish among TCs categorized by: intensity, distance traveled inland, and orientation of terrain encountered. Results confirm that TC rain shields often assume noncircular shapes. Utilizing shape indices to model rain shields could help produce TC rainfall forecasts that are more spatially accurate.
Symmetry Breaking in the Spectroscopy of the Odd-A ra Isotopes

The spectroscopy of the odd-A Ra isotopes from 215Ra through 227Ra is analyzed to see the effects of octupole deformation on the transition from spherical nuclei (where the more degenerate shell model applies) to quadrupole deformed nuclei (where the less degenerate Nilsson model is operative). 215Ra with 127 neutrons can be interpreted qualitatively in terms of the weak coupling of the levels in 214Ra with the shell model states g9/2 and j15/2. 217Ra and 219Ra can be understood in terms of both shell model spectroscopy with octupole correlations and increasingly with 219Ra in terms of octupole deformed Nilsson levels. 221,223,225Ra are all relatively good examples of the octupole deformed model with, however, some differences in the Coriolis coupling between low lying K=3/2± and K=1/2± parity doublet bands. The spectrum of 227Ra shows the coexistence of both parity doublets and an octupole vibration expected for an octupole-quadrupole deformed system and a coexisting normal deformed system.
554 FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME: A MECHANISM FOR GROWTH RETARDATION

Growth retardation (GR) is a principle feature of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). GR is of prenatal onset and generally there is no postnatal catch-up growth. Since Zinc (Zn) is an essential element for protein synthesis and growth during the critical prenatal and postnatal periods, we postulated that ethanol (E) may interefere with placental Zn transport. Therefore, we studied the effect of both acute and chronic (E) ingestion during pregnancy on in vivo placental Zn transport in pregnant rats. Two groups of pregnant rats were studied: 1. Acute E group (rats were given a single dose of E, 4 g/kg as a 25% V/V solution and control received isocaloric dextrose; 2 hour prior to study). 2. Chronic E group (rats were fed Leiber-DeCarli 5% ethanol diet from the 4th to 20th day of pregnancy and controls were isocalorically pair fed). On the 20th day of pregnancy, 2 μci of 65Zn was injected intravenously and tissue samples were obtained 10 min. thereafter by caesarean section. Transport of Zn was expressed as percent uptake of injected 65Zn per gm of placental or fetal tissue. Acute E did not affect fetal and placental weights, however, chronic E feeding resulted in 30% decrease in fetal weight (p < 0.05) and 18% increase in placental weight (p < 0,05). Both acute and chronic E caused a significant decrease, 40% and 30% (p < 0.05) in placental and fetal 65Zn uptake respectively. Our results indicate that maternal to fetal Zn transport is depressed by E because of a defect in placental transport of zinc. These results may explain partly the GR seen in FAS.
International law and the preemptive use of military force

Under the UN Charter paradigm, unilateral preemptive force without an imminent threat is clearly unlawful. But what is imminent? For all practical purposes, the charter framework is, and has been, dead. The United States should take the lead to improve it.
Collaborative Journal Purchasing Today : Results of a Survey

Libraries have joined consortia to increase their purchasing power, and in recent years they have been focusing on electronic journal packages. Purchasing a publisher's entire journal list, often called a Big Deal, seemed to be a good answer at first, but many librarians and libraries found that this solution was restrictive on their budgets and detrimental to their collections. In response, publishers became more flexible about allowing libraries to collaborate on the journal title lists. Survey results show that these collaborations are becoming more prevalent because the benefits outweigh the difficulties.
Wavefront and divergence of the Beamlet prototype laser

We have measured the wavefront and the divergence of the Beamlet prototype laser under a variety of conditions. Emphasis of the tests was on quantifying best attainable divergence in the angular regime below 30 (mu) rad to benchmark propagation models that are used to set wavefront gradient specifications for NIF optical components. Performance with and without active wavefront correction was monitored with radial shearing interferometers that measured near-field wavefront at the input and output of the main amplifier with a spatial resolution of 1 cm, and cameras which measured the corresponding intensity distributions in the far field with an angular resolution of 0.3 (Mu) rad. Details of the measurements are discussed and related to NIF focal spot requirements and optics specifications.
The road to ribosomes. Filling potholes in the export pathway.

The genetic material of eukaryotes is surrounded by a nuclear envelope, which acts as a barrier to the free exchange of proteins and nucleic acids between the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm. Although the resulting physical separation of transcription and translation provides cells with a level of control
Conditional expectations of brownian functionals and their applications

Abstract This work studies the analytical expressions of the expectations of the forms E g ∫ 0 T ƒ(t, w(t)) d t w(T) ∈ B and E g ∫ 0 T ƒ(t, w(t)) d t ; w(T) ∈ B with { w ( t ), t ≥ 0} being a d -dimensional Brownian motion. Its application in obtaining solutions of Fokker-Planck equations is studied. Finally, a generalization from Brownian motion to diffusion processes is given in a one-dimensional setting.
Synthetic Studies on Norrisolide: Enantioselective Synthesis of the Norrisane Side Chain

Norrisolide (1) belongs to a family of marine diterpenes that are characterized by the assembly of a bicyclic core with a unique and highly oxygenated side chain (norrisane side chain). As a prelude to the synthesis of 1, we present herein a short, efficient, and enantioselective synthesis of the norrisane side chain 4. The synthetic route toward 4 departs from d-mannose and is short (11 steps), efficient, and enantioselective.
Necrotising entero-colitis following umbilical vein catheterisation.

Fifteen cases of neonatal necrotising entero-colitis (NEC) following umbilical vein catheterisation are reported. Their clinical and radiological features are briefly described and the proper course of a catheter through the umbilical vein—ductus venosus—inferior vena cava segment is demonstrated. The significance of mal-position of the catheter and its association with NEC is discussed. It is suggested that the abdominal radiographs be taken in the antero-posterior and lateral projections with a portable X-ray machine to check the position of the radio-opaque catheter prior to the commencement of transfusion or infusion.
EVENING DAYLIGHT MAY CAUSE ADOLESCENTS TO SLEEP LESS IN SPRING THAN IN WINTER

Sleep restriction commonly experienced by adolescents can stem from a slower increase in sleep pressure by the homeostatic processes and from phase delays of the circadian system. With regard to the latter potential cause, the authors hypothesized that because there is more natural evening light during the spring than winter, a sample of adolescent students would be more phase delayed in spring than in winter, would have later sleep onset times, and because of fixed school schedules would have shorter sleep durations. Sixteen eighth-grade subjects were recruited for the study. The authors collected sleep logs and saliva samples to determine their dim light melatonin onset (DLMO), a well-established circadian marker. Actual circadian light exposures experienced by a subset of 12 subjects over the course of 7 days in winter and in spring using a personal, head-worn, circadian light measurement device are also reported here. Results showed that this sample of adolescents was exposed to significantly more circadian light in spring than in winter, especially during the evening hours when light exposure would likely delay circadian phase. Consistent with the light data, DLMO and sleep onset times were significantly more delayed, and sleep durations were significantly shorter in spring than in winter. The present ecological study of light, circadian phase, and self-reported sleep suggests that greater access to evening daylight in the spring may lead to sleep restriction in adolescents while attending school. Therefore, lighting schemes that reduce evening light in the spring may encourage longer sleep times in adolescents.
Maturational age affects pirenperone dose-response pattern.

Abstract 1. 1. The effects of the 5-HT2 antagonist pirenperone on temperature preference were observed 1 hr after injection in mice aged 3, 5 and 7 days and at doses of 0.16, 0.48 and 1.6 mg/kg body weight. 2. 2. Although all 3 doses produced significant decreases in preferred temperature at 3 days, only the highest dose had significant effects at ages 5 and 7 days. 3. 3. Analysis of the data suggests that the dose-response relationship depends on age in a way that would be consistent with a shift in the dose-response curve with increasing age.