cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metal-organic frameworks as emerging platform for supporting isolated single-site catalysts

Abstract Isolated heterogeneous single-site catalysts have been attracted great interest in diverse catalytic reactions because of their uniform and distinct geometric and electronic structure. Among various porous supports, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), with molecular level structure control and modularity, offer the versatile platforms for supporting isolated single-site catalysts. Owing to the well-defined anchoring sites lying in the nodes, ligands or nanopores of MOFs, the single-site catalysts could be grafted precisely without protection by bulky ligands. More interestingly, together with the nanopore confinement effect of MOFs, single-site catalysts could exhibit the excellent performances in terms of catalytic activity, selectivity and stability. In this review, we focus on summarizing the recent advances in the precise design, synthesis, characterization and catalytic applications of isolated single-site catalysts supported by MOFs and elucidating the relationship between structure and performance of single-site catalysts. Finally, we give a perspective on controllable synthesis of isolated single-site catalysts supported by MOFs as well as their catalytic applications.
Are shocks to human capital composition permanent? Evidence from the Mariel boatlift

We examine whether shocks to a city’s average level of human capital are associated with persistent or permanent changes in human capital. The Mariel boatlift of 1980 represents an exogenous negative shock to Miami’s average human capital because it attracted a particularly low-skilled mix of immigrants. To assess whether the boatlift affected Miami’s future human capital accumulation, we construct a synthetic control group to analyze the effect of this shock. The results suggest that the Miami metropolitan area experienced slower increases in average human capital than its synthetic control city after the boatlift. This result is robust to alternative estimation strategies, data sets, and alternative hypotheses. The result implies that a decreased level of average skills tends to subsequently attract unskilled skilled workers more strongly than skilled workers, at least in the context of immigration shocks. We discuss plausible mechanisms for this finding and place the findings into the context of the spatial equilibrium model.
How sound are our ultralight axion approximations

Ultralight axions (ULAs) are a promising dark-matter candidate. ULAs may have implications for small-scale challenges to the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$ model and arise in string scenarios. ULAs are already constrained by cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments and large-scale structure surveys, and will be probed with much greater sensitivity by future efforts. It is challenging to compute observables in ULA scenarios with sufficient speed and accuracy for cosmological data analysis because the ULA field oscillates rapidly. In past work, an effective fluid approximation has been used to make these computations feasible. Here this approximation is tested against an exact solution of the ULA equations, comparing the induced error of CMB observables with the sensitivity of current and future experiments. In the most constrained mass range for a ULA dark-matter component (${10}^{\ensuremath{-}27}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}\ensuremath{\le}{m}_{\mathrm{ax}}\ensuremath{\le}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}25}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$), the induced bias on the allowed ULA fraction of dark matter from Planck data is less than $1\ensuremath{\sigma}$. In the cosmic-variance limit (including temperature and polarization data), the bias is $\ensuremath{\lesssim}2\ensuremath{\sigma}$ for primary CMB anisotropies, with more severe biases (as high as $\ensuremath{\sim}4\ensuremath{\sigma}$) resulting for less reliable versions of the effective fluid approximation. If all of the standard cosmological parameters are fixed by other measurements, the expected bias rises to $4\ensuremath{-}20\ensuremath{\sigma}$ (well beyond the validity of the Fisher approximation), though the required level of degeneracy breaking will not be achieved by any planned surveys.
High-Latitude OTHR Adaptive Beamforming: Preserving Angle-Doppler Coupled Clutter

Over-the-horizon radars (OTHRs) often operate in the presence of interference that is nonstationary over the coherent processing interval (CPI). In this case, effective adaptive beamforming requires intra-CPI updates to the spatial weight vector to track changes in the interference spatial structure. However, these weight vector changes must be constrained to prevent modulating the clutter signal and drastically reducing subclutter visibility. These additional constraints require a model of the clutter signal. Existing adaptive beamforming algorithms either explicitly or implicitly rely on a scalar multivariate autoregressive (MVAR) model, which is based on typical observations made by mid-latitude OTHRs. However, high-latitude OTHRs often observe angle-Doppler coupled clutter, for which the scalar MVAR model does not apply. This article investigates the ramifications of angle-Doppler coupling for spatial adaptive processing (SAP), which results in the proposal of a new SAP algorithm. The efficacy of the new algorithm is compared to existing methods through simulation.
The effects of CEO activism on employees person‐organization ideological misfit: A conceptual model and research agenda

Research has found many positive benefits to person‐organization (PO) fit, for both individuals and the organization. However, PO misfit has received far less attention in the literature. In this article, we look specifically at PO misfit caused by the differing political values and beliefs of the CEO and employee. We argue that CEO activism influences employee perceptions of ideological misfit (IM), whereby differing political beliefs between employees and their activist CEO can impact workplace outcomes. We consider how peer group reactions, ethical climate, external needs fulfillment, and moral identity serve as boundary conditions for perceptions of PO misfit and related organizational outcomes. We also examine antecedents of CEO activism. Drawing on academic literature from both the micro and macro perspectives of management research, we introduce a conceptual model and discuss implications for the firm and its employees.
Certain growth characters of Tribolium castaneum as modified by long term selection for 21-day pupa weight.

Seven related populations of Tribolium castaneum were compared to determine the effect that selection for increased 21-day pupa weight had on certain other aspects of growth.
Chapter 7 – Integumentary and Sensory Systems

This chapter summarizes the functional anatomy and physiology of the integumentary and sensory systems of marine mammals. The review of the integumentary system includes description of components of the system (i.e., skin, hair, glands, vibrissae, and claws). Discussion of the nervous system highlights how relative brain size is measured (and what it means) and how enlargements of different segments of the spinal cord are correlated with different patterns of locomotion. Similarities and differences among marine mammals with respect to the development of the visual, olfactory, and taste sensory systems are also described in this chapter.
Volumes, caves, bodies, relatedness: The case of Cuban speleology and national defense

Abstract Scholarship on voluminous geographies not only takes seriously geopolitics’ three-dimensionality, but also the ways bodies experience the diverse materialities and vulnerabilities of volumetric infrastructures on the one hand, and the earth and its dynamic ecosystems, on the other. Focusing on the relational sociality among bodies—or rather, beings—as they explore and map caves, I emphasize the shared quality of how voluminous—and in particular, subterranean—geographies are created, experienced, and represented. The history of collaboration between Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces and Cuban speleologists dedicated to the exploration, study, and conservation of the country’s thousands of caves, illustrates the geopolitical implications of this focus. Based on interview and ethnographic data, this paper examines the varied perspectives on the relationship between speleology and defense, beginning with an institutional history, and then shifting to the affective relational qualities of speleological practice, which I argue constitute a shared intimate geopolitics. These relational qualities manifest themselves in forms of relatedness among speleologists and places, some of which structure the organizational (including spatial) features of their practices and their resulting knowledge. Viewed through this lens, cave maps assume an intimate quality as well: as substances that bind, as heirlooms, and as tokens of reciprocity. This perspective challenges approaches to caves as disconnected voids empty of life and sociality. Indeed, caves not only amplify the social, they gather. To speak of caves as only geological phenomena is inaccurate and actually limits scholarly appreciation of their geopolitical transformative potential. In the case of Cuba, this paper makes an important contribution by accounting for intimate encounters with the earth and its representations as key players in geopolitics.
Visualization of hydraulic fracture using physics-informed clustering to process ultrasonic shear waves

Abstract Ultrasonic transmission is sensitive to the spatial variation in mechanical properties of materials due to the presence of cracks/fractures. Wave propagation through fractured media introduces changes in the frequency content, travel time and transmission coefficient of the wave. A workflow based on physics-informed unsupervised learning is developed to process the transmitted ultrasonic-shear waveforms to non-invasively visualize the geomechanical alterations due to hydraulic fracturing. Novelty of the work involves the assignment of both statistically consistent and physically consistent clusters to the measurements of shear waveforms acquired across the one axial and two frontal planes. Physically consistent/relevant information is incorporated by considering the travel time of the peak of spectral energy and transmission coefficient of the transmitted waveform. The proposed workflow generates maps of geomechanical alterations across the frontal and axial planes of the sample. The outputs of the workflow are in good agreement with independent techniques viz. acoustic emission and X-ray computed tomography. The proposed workflow can be adapted for improved fracture characterization in the subsurface when processing sonic-logging, cross-wellbore seismic or surface seismic waveform data.
Fake news: the effects of social media disinformation on domestic terrorism

This study tests whether social media disinformation contributes to domestic terrorism within countries. I theorize that disinformation disseminated by political actors online through social media ...
Label-Free Noninvasive Cell Characterization: A Methodology Using Broadband Impedance Spectroscopy

As an electrical engineer, I like to view everything, large or small, in terms of an equivalent circuit of resistors, capacitors, inductors, and other components. To help me understand cell biology, I attempted to put together a simple equivalent circuit for a cell and validate it by electrical measurements. I soon found sympathy with far-sighted physical scientists and engineers from a century ago whose knowledge of biology was as poor as mine is now?not because they were too lazy to learn but because, back then, the knowledge did not exist. They made me sweat because, despite working with a suspension (mixture) of millions of cells, they gained insight into a single cell with the help of Maxwell [1] and Wagner [2].
Physical interventions for the treatment of trauma and stressor-related disorders: A comprehensive systematic review

Abstract Background Cognitive behavioral therapies for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are evidence-based and effective for many. However, the reach and impact of these interventions are limited. Physical interventions hold potential to bridge a gap in the unmet treatment of trauma and stressor-related disorders. Method This systematic review examined 84 studies from four decades of research on physical interventions for trauma and stressor-related disorders to: 1) describe the state of the field and 2) summarize the best available evidence. Reviewed studies were described in terms of measured sample characteristics and assessed outcomes. Treatment effect patterns were analyzed by intervention content and study design. Results The majority of studies (65.9%) reported statistically significant reductions in posttraumatic stress symptoms; 40.9% used a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. Among RCTs, one performed rigorous, statistically powered analyses in an intention-to-treat sample. Limitations High variability in reporting strategies among reviewed studies precludes analysis of variables such as intervention length, frequency, and dropout. Conclusion Preliminary evidence for the efficacy of physical interventions for trauma and stressor-related disorders is promising. Larger scale RCTs powered and designed to identify mediators and moderators of these interventions are warranted.
Long-Term Decrease of Intraocular Pressure in Rats by Viral Delivery of miR-146a.

Purpose To evaluate the effects of miR-146a in trabecular meshwork (TM) cells and on intraocular pressure (IOP) in vivo via viral delivery of miR-146a to the anterior chamber of rat eyes. Methods Human TM cells were transfected with miR-146 mimic or inhibitor. Some cells from each group were then subjected to cyclic mechanical stress (CMS). Other cells from each group had no force applied. Gene expression was then analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Replication-deficient adenovirus and lentivirus expressing miR-146a were inoculated into the anterior segment of Brown Norway rat eyes. IOP was monitored by rebound tonometry, visual acuity was evaluated by optokinetic tracking (OKT), and inflammation markers in the anterior segment were examined by slit-lamp, qPCR, and semi-thin sections. Results miR-146 affected the expression of genes potentially involved in outflow homeostasis at basal levels and under CMS. Both lentiviral and adenoviral vectors expressing miR-146a resulted in sustained decreases in IOP ranging from 2.6 to 4.4 mmHg. Long term follow-up of rats injected with lentiviral vectors showed a sustained effect on IOP of 4.4 ± 2.9 mmHg that lasted until rats were sacrificed more than 8 months later. Eyes showed no signs of inflammation, loss of visual acuity, or other visible abnormalities. Conclusions Intracameral delivery of miR-146a can provide a long-term decrease of IOP in rats without signs of inflammation or other visible adverse effects. Transitional relevance The IOP-lowering effects of miR-146 observed in rats provides a necessary step toward the development of an effective gene therapy for glaucoma in humans.
Elk: Elk receptor tyrosine kinase (vertebrates)

The exact physiological role for the Elk receptor kinase is not presently known. Its pattern of expression, that is, temporal and spatial restriction to certain regions of the brain, suggests its importance to the differentiation of neuronal tissues. A ligand has recently been identified, which is itself a transmembrane protein. Subunit structure of Elk contains 984 amino acids. The homologue protein is found in rat that is Cek6. Elk can be assayed by autophosphorylation and it expressed predominantly in cells of the central nervous system.
Fine genetic mapping of a gene for autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa on chromosome 6p21.

The inherited retinal degenerations known as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) can be caused by mutations at many different loci and can be inherited as an autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, or X-linked recessive trait. Two forms of autosomal recessive (arRP) have been reported to cosegregate with mutations in the rhodopsin gene and the beta-subunit of rod phosphodiesterase on chromosome 4p. Genetic linkage has been reported on chromosomes 6p and 1q. In a large Dominican family, we reported an arRp gene near the region of the peripherin/RDS gene. Four recombinations were detected between the disease locus and an intragenic marker derived from peripherin/RDS. 26 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
A DNA Damage Checkpoint Meets the Cell Cycle Engine

Cells contain complex protein machinery that drives their repeated divisions, but they also have "checkpoint proteins" that prevent this from happening if conditions are not right. If their DNA is damaged, for example, the cell cycle is arrested. Now in a Perspective, Weinert synthesizes the results presented in three papers in this issue and describes a biochemical pathway that links for the first time the checkpoint proteins that sense DNA damage and the cyclin-dependent kinase-cyclin complex that is the "engine" that drives the cell cycle.
Clinician assessment of the driving competence of patients with dementia.

This article reports on a study undertaken to determine the validity and reliability of clinician ratings of the driving competence of patients with mild dementia. The observational study included a cross-section of 50 drivers with mild dementia, based on chart review by clinicians with varying types of expertise and experience. The clinicians rated each driver as safe, marginal, or unsafe. A professional driving instructor compared these ratings with total driving scores on a standardized road test and categorical ratings of driving competence. Results showed that accuracy of clinician ratings ranged from 62% to 78% for the instructor’s global rating of safe versus marginal or unsafe. In general, there was moderate accuracy and interrater reliability. The authors note that accuracy could have been improved in the least-accurate raters by greater attention to dementia duration and severity ratings, as well as less reliance on the history and physical examination. The authors conclude that although a clinician may be able to identify many potentially hazardous drivers, the accuracy achieved in insufficient to state that a clinician’s assessment alone is adequate to determine driving competence in those with mild dementia.
Designing games to address 'Mute English' among children in China

This paper describes findings and design implications from user research intended to support software to address the Mute English phenomenon. This term refers to the many students in China whose English speaking ability lags far behind that of their reading and listening. Software designs for games are presented as a scalable solution to the problem. Games are a unique way to elicit speech input from children in a personalized educational setting.
On Classifying Disease-Induced Patterns in the Brain Using Diffusion Tensor Images

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provides rich information about brain tissue structure especially in the white matter, which is known to be affected in several diseases like schizophrenia. Identifying patterns of brain changes induced by pathology is therefore crucial to clinical studies. However, the high dimensionality and complex structure of DTI make it difficult to apply conventional linear statistical and pattern classification methods to identify such patterns. In this paper, we present a novel framework that uses a combination of DTI-based anisotropy and geometry features to effectively identify brain regions with pathology-induced abnormality, and to classify brains into the diseased and healthy groups. Our method first directly estimates the underlying overlap between the patient and control groups, based on a semi-parametric Bayes error estimation method. By ranking voxels based on these estimation results, the method identifies abnormal brain regions from which features are extracted through Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) for subsequent classification. Application of the method to a dataset of controls and patients with schizophrenia, demonstrates promising accuracy of this framework in identifying brain patterns to separate two groups, and hence aiding in prognosis and treatment.
Comparison of Celox-A, ChitoFlex, WoundStat, and Combat Gauze Hemostatic Agents Versus Standard Gauze Dressing in Control of Hemorrhage in a Swine Model of Penetrating Trauma

Objectives: Uncontrolled hemorrhage remains one of the leading causes of trauma deaths and one of the most challenging problems facing emergency medical professionals. Several hemostatic agents have emerged as effective adjuncts in controlling extremity hemorrhage. However, a review of the current literature indicates that none of these agents have proven superior under all conditions and in all wound types. This study compared several hemostatic agents in a lethal penetrating groin wound model where the bleeding site could not be visualized. Methods: A complex groin injury with a small penetrating wound, followed by transection of the femoral vessels and 45 seconds of uncontrolled hemorrhage, was created in 80 swine. The animals were then randomized to five treatment groups (16 animals each). Group 1 was Celox-A (CA), group 2 was combat gauze (CG), group 3 was Chitoflex (CF), group 4 was WoundStat (WS), and group 5 was standard gauze (SG) dressing. Each agent was applied with 5 minutes of manual pressure. Hetastarch (500 mL) was infused over 30 minutes. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded over 180 minutes. Primary endpoints were attainment of initial hemostasis and incidence of rebleeding. Results: Overall, no difference was found among the agents with respect to initial hemostasis, rebleeding, and survival. Localizing effects among the granular agents, with and without delivery mechanisms, revealed that WS performed more poorly in initial hemostasis and survival when compared to CA.
Political Skill and Work Outcomes: A Theoretical Extension, Meta-Analytic Investigation, and Agenda for the Future

This quantitative review explored the political skill construct and its predictive ability across a number of organizational outcomes. First, we extended the Ferris et al. meta-theoretical framework of political skill. Next, incorporating meta-analysis, we found political skill is positively related to self-efficacy, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, work productivity, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), career success, and personal reputation, and negatively related to physiological strain. Political skill was not significantly related to psychological strain or perceptions of organizational politics. Using meta-regression and dominance analyses, political skill predicted task performance after controlling for the Big Five personality characteristics and general mental ability. In a test of indirect relationships, our results suggest that personal reputation and self-efficacy partially mediate the political skill–task performance relationship. Finally, in a post hoc test of political skill dimensions, we found that networking ability, interpersonal influence, and apparent sincerity (but not social astuteness) predicted task performance. Our findings provide a comprehensive assessment of theory and research to date on political skill and extend theoretical foundations to stimulate new inquiry into the operation of this important construct.
Digital control from a hybrid perspective

The framework of hybrid control systems can be used to examine digital control systems. This paper shows how digital control systems can be modeled as hybrid control systems. A technique for designing interfaces for hybrid control systems is presented. An example is employed to demonstrate how this technique, as well as a DES controller design methodology developed earlier, can be applied to improve a digital control system. >
Look to the record

the self-confidence that accompanies docu mentation, the profession faces the task of interpreting its activities to a myriad of others—paraprofessionals, team members of other disciplines, consumers of services, legislators, and funding sources. Fulfill ment of these tasks requires a clear, ac curate, and informative record of social work practice. This record must be com prehensible to a wide variety of readers, including the recorder himself. Social work students learn to recite the
Locating Gunky Water and Wine

Can material objects be weakly located at regions of spacetime and yet fail to be exactly located anywhere? In this paper, I discuss a case which, at least according to one interpretation, answers affirmatively: the case of blending gunky water and wine, in gunky space. Perhaps after such a blend, the water and wine aren't exactly located anywhere while being weakly located at the location of the blend and any region which overlaps it. I show that the case is interesting and complicated, and has consequences for some ideas found in papers by Daniel Nolan and Josh Parsons.1
Symbolic Matching-to-Sample by Pigeons

Pigeons were given 4 sessions, 90 reinforcers per session, in which the center one of three response keys was illuminated with red and green light. 40 responses on the center key produced side keys...
Precoding and Decoding Paradigms for Distributed Vector Data Compression

In this paper, we consider the problem of lossy coding of correlated vector sources with uncoded side information available at the decoder. In particular, we consider lossy coding of vector source xisinRN which is correlated with vector source yisinRN, known at the decoder. We propose two compression schemes, namely, distributed adaptive compression (DAC) and distributed universal compression (DUC) schemes. The DAC algorithm is inspired by the optimal solution for Gaussian sources and requires computation of the conditional Karhunen-Loegraveve transform (CKLT) of the data at the encoder. The DUC algorithm, however, does not require knowledge of the CKLT at the encoder. The DUC algorithms are based on the approximation of the correlation model between the sources y and x through a linear model y=Hx+n in which H is a matrix and n is a random vector and independent of x. This model can be viewed as a fictitious communication channel with input x and output y. Utilizing channel equalization at the receiver, we convert the original vector source coding problem into a set of manageable scalar source coding problems. Furthermore, inspired by bit loading strategies employed in wireless communication systems, we propose for both compression schemes a rate allocation policy which minimizes the decoding error rate under a total rate constraint. Equalization and bit loading are paired with a quantization scheme for each vector source entry (a slightly simplified version of the so called DISCUS scheme). The merits of our work are as follows: 1) it provides a simple, yet optimized, implementation of Wyner-Ziv quantizers for correlated vector sources, by using the insight gained in the design of communication systems; 2) it provides encoding schemes that, with or without the knowledge of the correlation model at the encoder, enjoy distributed compression gains
Pictorial Representations of the Electron Cloud for Hydrogen-Like Atoms

It is well known that the solutions of the wave-equation for hydrogen-like atoms may be represented graphically by interpreting $\ensuremath{\Psi}{\ensuremath{\Psi}}^{*}$ as a probability density. The probability density factors ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{m}{{\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{m}}^{*}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}{[{\ensuremath{\Theta}}_{m,l}]}^{2}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}{[{R}_{n,l}]}^{2}=\ensuremath{\Psi}{\ensuremath{\Psi}}^{*}$ are represented graphically and briefly discussed and compared with the electron orbits of four classical models. Graphs for $s$, $p$, $d$, $f$, $g$, and $h$ electrons are given. An attempt to combine the probability density factors and form some graphical representation of $\ensuremath{\Psi}{\ensuremath{\Psi}}^{*}$ has resulted in the construction of a mechanical device or model, see Fig. 5, which when photographed, gives very closely the desired result. Photographs for the magnetic states $m=0,\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1,\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2,\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3,\ensuremath{\cdots}$ are given for $1s$, $2p$, $3d$, $4f$, $2s$, $3p$, $4d$, $5f$, $3s$, $4p$, and $5d$ electrons, see Fig. 6.
A Drawback of Electoral Competition

In most major democracies there are very few parties compared to the number of possible policy positions held by voters. We provide an efficiency rationale for why it might be appropriate to limit the proliferation of parties. In our model, the larger the number of parties, the greater the inefficiency of the outcome of electoral competition. The reason is that, when the number of parties increases, electoral incentives push each party to focus its electoral promises on a narrower constituency, and then special interest policies replace more efficient policies that have diffuse benefits. The analysis provides a possible explanation for the existence of institutional features that limit the extent of electoral competition: thresholds of exclusion, runoff electoral systems, and majoritarian two-party political systems. (JEL: D82, L15)
Mixotrophy among dinoflagellates

Mixotrophy, used herein for the combination of phototrophy and phagotrophy, is widespread among dinoflagellates. It occurs among most, perhaps all, of the extant orders, including the Prorocentrales, Dinophysiales, Gymnodiniales, Noctilucales, Gonyaulacales, Peridiniales, Blastodiniales, Phytodiniales, and Dinamoebales. Many cases of mixotrophy among dinoflagellates are probably undocumented. Primarily photosynthetic dinoflagellates with their "own" plastids can often supplement their nutrition by preying on other cells. Some primarily phagotrophic species are photosynthetic due to the presence of kleptochloroplasts or algal endosymbionts. Some parasitic dinoflagellates have plastids and are probably mixotrophic. For most mixotrophic dinoflagellates, the relative importance of photosynthesis, uptake of dissolved inorganic nutrients, and feeding are unknown. However, it is apparent that mixotrophy has different functions in different physiological types of dinoflagellates. Data on the simultaneous regulation of photosynthesis, assimilation of dissolved inorganic and organic nutrients, and phagotophy by environmental parameters (irradiance, availability of dissolved nutrients, availability of prey) and by life history events are needed in order to understand the diverse roles of mixotrophy in dinoflagellates.
Premature ejaculation: some thoughts about its pathogenesis.

Abstract Premature ejaculation has always been assumed to be a male sexual dysfunction whose pathogenesis involved either male physiologic or psychologic considerations. A small series of unselected cases is presented that suggests that premature ejaculation may also result from hidden female arousal difficulties. The clinical material illustrates that the newer penile stimulation therapies for premature ejaculation are not required for every couple with this complaint.
Cryptic causation of human disease: reading between the (germ) lines.

Most cases of complex human diseases arise sporadically. However, usually there is a significant level of familial aggregation of risk and genetic mapping has identified the responsible gene in a few mendelian cases. Although a disease can be causally genetic, intensified mapping efforts have so far been unable to identify genes that account for more than a small fraction of the familial risk, perhaps because the responsible variation arises by somatic mutation (SM). SM explains the kind of epidemiological pattern seen in cancer, and might have a comparable role in many other diseases. For example, in epilepsy, which has largely defied mapping analysis, the underlying disease pathology, undamped neuronal signaling, is closely connected to gene function. Better technologies to detect and characterize SM are becoming available. However, until it is studied directly, SM will remain a cryptic etiological force, even for diseases that are essentially ‘genetic'.
A Regional Retrospective Assessment of the Potential Stressors Causing the Decline of the Cherry Point Pacific Herring Run

ABSTRACT The Pacific herring stock that spawns at Cherry Point, northwest of Bellingham, WA, has undergone a dramatic decline in the last 20 years. The population decline corresponds with a collapse of the age structure. The Cherry Point area contains three deep water shipping piers, two refineries, an aluminum smelter, and urban development. The Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve was formed initially to protect the spawning habitat of the Cherry Point Pacific herring run. We conducted a retrospective assessment using the relative risk model (RRM) to investigate the causes of the current decline of the Cherry Point run. The RRM combines aspects of the weight-of-evidence (WoE) approach and other methods of establishing causality into a framework that deals with multiple stressors, uncertainty, and spatial scale. An analysis of the Cherry Point Pacific herring age structure and population dynamics indicates that the loss of reproductive potential of the older age class fish was the population characteristic that ...
The effects of silicate depletion and subsequent replenishment on the cytoplasmic fine structure of the silica-secreting testate amoeba Netzelia tuberculata in laboratory culture.

In the absence of silicate in the growth medium, Netzelia tuberculata cells withdraw their feeding lobopodia, become quiescent, and cease to divide. Upon replenishment of silicate, growth resumes within 18-24 hours. Cytoplasmic changes produced by a low silicate medium result in a zonal arrangement, with siliceous particles at the outer periphery of the cytoplasm in a region rich in Golgi bodies (Region A), a more centrally located layer containing endoplasmic reticulum, lipid reserves, and finely granular cytoplasm (Region B), and a region of partially digested food and waste material fringed by fine rhizopodia extending into the central space of the test (Region C). The reserve siliceous particles in the outer peripheral cytoplasm are foreign particles that contain a fragile deposit of silica and appear to be incomplet. This may be a mechanism for conserving silica in the low-silicate medium by coating particles instead of making particles of solid silica de novo. Upon addition of silicate to the growth medium, new siliceous particles are synthesized within vacuoles in the region of the Golgi apparatus within 2-18 hours. Vacuoles containing fine silica deposits, characteristic of new particle production, are surrounded by Golgi-derived vesicles previously shown to be a source of membrane for the silica-secreting vacuoles. The newly synthesized particles are solid silica as is characteristic of de novo secreted test particles, in contrast to the numerous silica-coated foreign bodies found in quiescent cells produced in low-silicate medium.
Oligonucleotide Motifs That Disappear during the Evolution of Influenza Virus in Humans Increase Alpha Interferon Secretion by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells

CpG motifs in an A/U context have been preferentially eliminated from classical H1N1 influenza virus genomes during virus evolution in humans. The hypothesis of the current work is that CpG motifs in a uracil context represent sequence patterns with the capacity to induce an immune response, and the avoidance of this immunostimulatory signal is the reason for the observed preferential decline. To analyze the immunogenicity of these domains, we used plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). pDCs express pattern recognition receptors, including Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), which recognizes guanosine- and uridine-rich viral single-stranded RNA (ssRNA), including influenza virus ssRNA. The signaling through TLR7 results in the induction of inflammatory cytokines and type I interferon (IFN-I), an essential process for the induction of specific adaptive immune responses and for mounting a robust antiviral response mediated by IFN-α. Secretion of IFN-α is also linked to the activation of other immune cells, potentially amplifying the effect of an initial IFN-α secretion. We therefore also examined the role of IFN-α-driven activation of NK cells as another source of selective pressure on the viral genome. We found direct evidence that CpG RNA motifs in a U-rich context control pDC activation and IFN-α-driven activation of NK cells, likely through TLR7. These data provide a potential explanation for the loss of CpG motifs from avian influenza viruses as they adapt to mammalian hosts. The selective decrease of CpG motifs surrounded by U/A may be a viral strategy to avoid immune recognition, a strategy likely shared by highly expressed human immune genes.
Comparison of thermodilution and indocyanine green dye in low cardiac output or left-sided regurgitation

Abstract Although previous retrospective assessments have demonstrated good agreement between the results of the Fick method and those of indocyanine green dye and thermodilution in the measurement of cardiac output (CO), 1–3 they have suggested that the discrepancy between Fick and dye is exaggerated in patients with a low CO and in those with aortic or mitral regurgitation, whereas the Fick-thermodilution difference is not increased in these patients. As a result, thermodilution may be preferable to dye in those with a low CO or left-sided regurgitation. However, no previously published study has measured CO by all 3 techniques in a large number of patients, thereby allowing a direct comparison of dye and thermodilution. The present study was performed for this purpose.
Short-Term Memory Function in Young Readers.

Abstract Twelve good readers and 12 poor readers, 10-y4-olds, were given memory span tests, and memory scanning tests, in both auditory and visual modalities. Their concept of a letter pattern was also tested. The major finding was that short-term memory (STM) function deteriorated over time in the poor reading group. When modality was switched the good readers showed a release from proactive inhibition (PI); the poor readers did not. Among good readers, memory scanning in the auditory modality occurred at about the same speed as memory scanning in the visual modality; among the poor readers, auditory speed gradually lagged relative to visual rates. Poor readers were more likely (than good readers) to lack the concept of a letter pattern. Stepwise regressions showed that different patterns of variables were assocated with different types of reading errors. Implicatios for model construction were discussed.
Obtaining Reduced-Order Stochastic Models

Recent approaches to stochastic model reduction have followed the balancing approach introduced by Moore for the deterministic model reduction problem. In this approach, a given model is transformed to one in which the state variables are ordered with respect to their contribution to some criterion, and the reduced-order model is then obtained by deleting the least important variables. In the deterministic case, the ordering of the state variable implies that the reduced-order model is a subsystem of the original model. However, this is not necessarily true in the stochastic case. In this paper, an optimality framework for obtaining reduced-order stochastic models is derived. Since exact solutions appear intractable, a new suboptimal approach is presented.
Foreskin retractility following hypospadias repair with preputioplasty--medium term outcomes.

Abstract Aim To assess the medium term outcome of hypospadias repair and preputioplasty with regard to foreskin retractility, and whether this could be predicted by assessing retractility at the end of the operation. Materials and methods The data were obtained from a prospectively maintained database regarding patients who had hypospadias repair with preputioplasty between January 2003 and June 2010. The foreskin retractility at the end of the operation was documented in the operation notes, and the latest foreskin status was obtained from clinical notes or by contacting parents. Results The total number was 207, and 170 (82.1%) had distal hypospadias. At the latest follow up at a median of 2 years and 3 months after the date of operation (range 13 months to 4 years 7 months), 159 boys (76.8%) had a retractile foreskin, 27 (13%) were under observation for a tight foreskin, and 8 (3.9%) had undergone circumcision due to tightness. The foreskin was retractile at the end of the operation in 154 (73.3%) patients. Of these, 130 (84%) had a retractile foreskin at the later follow-up clinic. Of the 49 patients who had a non-retractile foreskin at the end of the operation, 29 went on to have a retractile foreskin, while 20 had a tight foreskin. Fisher's exact test showed that foreskin retractility at the end of the operation has a significant relation to foreskin retractility in the medium term, and that patients with distal hypospadias have a greater probability of achieving a retractile foreskin. Conclusion A primarily retractile foreskin can be achieved in over 75% with less than 4% requiring a circumcision due to tightness. Distal location of hypospadias and retractility at the end of operation predicted success.
Inflammatory breast cancer: high risk of contralateral breast cancer compared to comparably staged non-inflammatory breast cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), the most lethal form of breast cancer, has characteristics linked to higher risk of contralateral breast cancer. However, no large studies have examined risk of contralateral breast cancer following IBC. We calculated absolute risk of invasive contralateral breast cancer among 5,631 IBC and 174,634 comparably staged non-IBC first breast cancer cases who survived at least 2 months following diagnosis and were reported to 13 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries between January 1, 1973 and December 31, 2006. We considered that contralateral cancers occurring within 2–23 months of first cancer diagnosis may more likely be metastatic/recurrent disease and those occurring 2 or more years after diagnosis independent primaries. Absolute risk of contralateral breast cancer was generally greater following IBC than regional/distant non-IBC, regardless of age and hormone receptor status of first cancer diagnosis. Much of the increase in absolute risk following IBC occurred within 2–23 months of first cancer diagnosis, while the risk for non-IBC occurred more gradually over time since diagnosis. For instance, among women first diagnosed before age 50, absolute risks following IBC and non-IBC were 4.9 vs. 1.1% at 2 years, 6.0 vs. 2.2% at 5 years, and 7.7 vs. 6.1% at 20 years after diagnosis. However, patterns of higher risk following IBC than non-IBC were also evident for at least 10–15 years in the subcohort of women who survived at least 24 months without a contralateral cancer. In conclusion, our results suggest that IBC has higher risk of cancer in the contralateral breast than comparably staged non-IBC, possibly due to both metastatic/recurrent disease and independent primaries.
History of surface weather observations in the United States

Abstract In this paper, the history of surface weather observations in the United States is reviewed. Local weather observations were first documented in the 17th Century along the East Coast. For many years, the progression of a weather observation from an initial reading to dissemination remained a slow and laborious process. The number of observers remained small and unorganized until agencies including the Surgeon General, Army, and General Land Office began to request regular observations at satellite locations in the 1800s. The Smithsonian was responsible for first organizing a large “network” of volunteer weather observers across the nation. These observers became the foundation for today's Cooperative Observer network. As applications of weather data continued to grow and users required the data with an ever-decreasing latency, automated weather networks saw rapid growth in the later part of the 20th century. Today, the number of weather observations across the U.S. totals in the tens of thousands due largely to privately-owned weather networks and amateur weather observers who submit observations over the internet.
Effect of Temperature and Dietary Energy on Layer Performance

DeKalb XL White Leghorn hens 20 wk of age housed at 16.1, 18.9, 22.2, 25.0, 27.8, and 31.1 C were fed diets containing 2,645, 2.755, 2,865, and 2,976 kcal MEn/kg. Feed intake was 5.9 g lower (P less than .05) when dietary energy was increased from 2,645 to 2,976 kcal MEn/kg and was 21.7 g lower when temperatures were increased from 16.1 to 31.1 C. The MEn intake of hens at temperatures ranging from 16.1 to 31.1 C was 61.2 (P less than .05) kcal/hen per day lower in treatments with the higher temperatures. The MEn intake of hens was also 16.7 kcal/day higher (P less than .05) when energy density in the diet was raised from 2,645 to 2,976 kcal MEn/kg. Egg production was not affected by either temperature or dietary energy density. Egg weight increased .78 g (P less than .05) with increases in dietary energy density from 2,645 to 2,976 kcal MEn/kg and decreased 3.18 g (P less than .05) when temperatures were raised from 16.1 to 31.1 C. Mean body weights and body weight gains were significantly (P less than .05) higher in treatments with higher energy density and lower in treatments with higher environmental temperatures. Feed conversion was increased .41 g feed/g egg mass (P less than .05) at higher temperatures (16.1 and 31.1 C) and increased .17 g feed/g egg mass at higher energy densities (2,645 and 2,976 kcal MEn/kg). Maintenance requirements were estimated at all temperatures.
An Examination of Direct and Indirect Effects of Maltreatment Dimensions and Other Ecological Risks on Persistent Youth Offending

The study examined the ecological model by testing the direct and indirect effects of four maltreatment dimensions (supervisory neglect, age at onset, recurrence, and severity) on persistent youth offending. A path model was constructed hypothesizing that maltreatment, family functioning, and community risks would increase behavior and academic problems in childhood and delinquency in adolescence. The design featured within-group analysis that included methodological and statistical controls determining how variations in maltreatment affect delinquent behavior among maltreated children. Supervisory neglect produced direct and indirect effects. Maltreatment severity produced direct effects only. Family functioning and community risks produced indirect effects. The results support the ecological explanation of the maltreatment/delinquency link. The key implication of the study is that accurate and early identification of maltreatment, coupled with interventions that improve parental discipline and supervision, will reduce persistent youth offending while also mediating the effects of other risk factors.
Addition of ICI to Vinylsilanes

Abstract In an earlier paper1 from this laboratory describing the stereoselective synthesis of vinyl halides from vinylsilanes, we reported the formation of trans-l-iodo-l-hexene from cis-l-tri-methylsilyl-l-hexene by reaction with an acyl hypoiodite followed by fluoride ion-induced elimination of the elements of trifluoro-acetoxytrimethylsilane: Serious drawbacks to this approach include low yields of adduct formation and use of an expensive silver reagent.