cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Opportunistic Foraging Behavior By Coyotes (Canis latrans) of A Novel Food Source Observed With Remote Cameras

The opportunistic foraging behavior and wide dietary niche breadth of coyotes (Canis latrans) allows them to inhabit a variety of environments. Behavioral observations of wild animals are often logistically difficult, making remotely triggered cameras a valuable tool to document behavior. I placed cameras across a desert woodland ecosystem in western Colorado, USA, 2015–2016, to document mammalian species distributions. Through these cameras I observed coyotes foraging on a previously undocumented food item, pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) nuts; a nutritious seed with a hard exterior. This feeding behavior was verified by observations of coyote scat composed of these seeds. Coyotes fed on pine nuts with greater frequency, longer durations, and in larger groups during 2015 compared with 2016, which coincided with a pine nut masting event. These observations support the hypothesis that coyotes consume prey in relation to availability and increase our understanding of the foraging ecology of an opportunistic canid.
Current Thinking About Nature and Nurture

Theories about the origins of people’s biological and psychological characteristics have focused for centuries on the contributions of Nature and Nurture to development. Modern psychologists often maintain that it is an error to ask if Nature or Nurture determines the form of a particular trait, because the two types of factors interact during development. Instead, some of them have argued, the question of importance is: how much does each factor contribute to this process? This is the approach adopted by quantitative behavioral geneticists engaged in twin and/or adoption studies—research designed to yield heritability estimates for a wide variety of traits. In contrast, molecular biologists have learned that the dichotomy at the heart of such questions does not stand up to either conceptual or empirical scrutiny. In fact, it makes little sense to attempt to quantify the extent to which Nature versus Nurture contributes to a trait, precisely because these two classes of factors are always essential to—and interactive during—the development of both biological and psychological characteristics. Therefore, the question of importance is: how are our traits built during development? That is, how is it that genetic factors, proteins, cells, organs, organisms, and populations of individuals co-act to produce phenotypes in development? There are a number of related insights at the center of this discussion, including that the environments and experiences we encounter as we develop get inside of us in ways that alter our biological/genetic functioning, and that biological factors collaborate with environmental factors to build all of our organs, including our brains and their associated behaviors, cognitions, and emotions. Although the conceptualization of Nature and Nurture as dichotomous has a long history, evidence from the biological sciences indicates that it has outlived its usefulness. Consequently, those wishing to teach students about genetics, human nature, inheritance, and development would be well advised to refrain from framing their discussions in terms of this obsolete dichotomy.
High-Performance Computing Based Fully Parallel Security-Constrained Unit Commitment With Dispatchable Transmission Network

The co-optimization of security-constrained unit commitment and dispatchable transmission network is a large-scale and computationally complex optimization problem that brings big challenges for the traditional centralized and/or master–slave based decomposition approaches. This paper proposes a fully parallel approach to achieve an efficient and fast solution while considering post-contingency corrective actions. In this paper, the original co-optimization problem is decomposed into six major solution modules for unit commitment, optimal power flow, and transmission switching in base case and contingencies, respectively. Moreover, each major solution module is further decomposed by unit, period, dispatchable line, and/or contingency to make the proposed approach favorable in a fully parallel computing environment. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed fully parallel approach are justified using numerical cases on a high-performance computing (HPC) platform.
Electrochemical Dinitrogen Reduction to Ammonia by Mo2N: Catalysis or Decomposition?

Instead of catalyzing electrochemical reduction of N2, we found that tetragonal Mo2N undergoes decomposition and results in the generation of ammonia. The present results call urgent attention to the need to carefully evaluate the catalytic nature of the dinitrogen reduction reaction by nitrogen-containing materials.
Open mind word expert: Creating large data collections with Web users' help

This article discusses Open Mind Word Expert (OMWE), a system that aims to tap people's ability to disambiguate words and to give computers the benefit of people's knowledge.
Federal policy documentation and geothermal water consumption: Policy gaps and needs

Abstract With U.S. geothermal power production expected to more than triple by 2040, and the majority of this growth expected to occur in arid and water-constrained areas, it is imperative that decision-makers understand the potential long-term limitations to and tradeoffs of geothermal development due to water availability. To this end, water consumption data, including documentation triggered by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, production and injection data, and water permit data, were collected from state and federal environmental policy sources in an effort to determine water consumption across the lifecycle of geothermal power plants. Values extracted from these sources were analyzed to estimate water usage during well drilling; to identify sourcing of water for well drilling, well stimulation, and plant operations; and to estimate operational water usage at the plant level. Nevada data were also compared on a facility-by-facility basis with other publicly available water consumption data, to create a complete picture of water usage and consumption at these facilities. This analysis represents a unique method of capturing project-level water data for geothermal projects; however, a lack of statutory and legal requirements for such data and data quality result in significant data gaps, which are also explored.
Finding your Bus: Conceptualising Contemporary Quaker Management Education

How can Quaker thought and practice make a significant contribution to contemporary management education? Quaker-affiliated businesses and organisations have played significant roles in both the Un...
The Zoning Strait-Jacket: The Freezing of American Neighborhoods of Single-Family Houses

Municipal zoning practices profoundly shape urban life in the United States. In regions such as Silicon Valley, regulatory barriers to residential construction have helped raise house prices to roughly ten times the national median. These astronomic prices have prompted some households to move to places, such as Texas, where housing is far less expensive. I have been engaged in an empirical study of zoning practices in Silicon Valley, Greater New Haven, and Greater Austin. This Article presents one of my central findings, induced from those metropolitan areas and elsewhere: local zoning politics typically freezes land uses in an established neighborhood of detached houses. The consequences are profound. Single-family neighborhoods constitute a solid majority of urban land in the United States. Within these frozen neighborhoods, real estate markets cannot respond to changes in supply and demand conditions. The Article marshals a variety of evidence to prove that the zoning strait-jacket exists. It also discusses possible exceptions to it. The most plausible is proximity to a newly opened transit node, an event that may transform zoning outcomes, even in a neighborhood of houses. Building on the work of others, notably William Fischel, I explore the dynamics of local zoning politics. The goal is to develop an overarching theory that is consistent with the larger study’s three basic empirical findings: that suburbs in Greater Austin, Texas, are relatively pro-growth; that, even in Greater Austin, zoning policies freeze land uses in established neighborhoods of detached houses; and that the opening of a new transit node sometimes can loosen the zoning strait-jacket.
Improving Grid Network Operations Through an Improved Energy Market

Distributed power generation can lead to overvoltage conditions, potentially damaging devices connected to the electrical grid. A method to improve the management of distributed power is presented ...
Household food insecurity and educational outcomes in school-going adolescents in Ghana.

Objectives: We examined the association of household food insecurity with educational outcomes and explored the moderating effect of gender and school lunch programme. Design: The study used a cross-sectional design. Data were collected in 2014 using interviewer-administered questionnaires and school administrative records. We measured household food insecurity using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Educational outcomes referred to knowledge, attitudes and skills that students are expected to obtain while attending school. We obtained sixteen different measures of educational outcomes, ranging from academic grades to beliefs and attitudes towards school and education. Data were analysed using multilevel modelling with covariates at the student and school levels. We conducted moderation tests by adding a two-way interaction between food insecurity and gender, and between food insecurity and school lunch programme. Setting: The study was conducted in 100 schools located in fifty-four districts within Ghana’s eight administrative regions in 2014. Participants: Participants included 2201 school-going adolescents aged 15–19 years. Results: More than 60 % of adolescents were from food-insecure households. Household food insecurity was negatively associated with Math grade and school attendance. Food insecurity was also inversely associated with socio-emotional outcomes, including academic self-efficacy, commitment to school and academic aspirations and expectations. We did not find a moderating effect of gender and school lunch programme. Conclusions: Food insecurity is negatively associated with wide-ranging educational outcomes related to both learning and socio-emotional abilities. Our study supports prior evidence suggesting the importance of food access on both cognitive and non-cognitive educational outcomes.
Tri-ethylene glycol modified class B and class C CpG conjugated gold nanoparticles for the treatment of lymphoma.

Abstract CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpGs) can induce an anti-tumor immune response, but also uniquely cause direct lymphoma cytotoxicity. To improve the delivery and efficacy of CpGs, we utilized a tri-ethylene modified CpG conjugated gold nanoparticle (tmCpG NP) platform that is compatible with both class B and class C CpGs, to treat various types of lymphoma, including diffuse large B cell lymphoma, high-grade lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma. Both classes of tmCpG NPs reduced viability of human and murine lymphoma cells via apoptosis compared with free CpGs, while having no toxic effects on dendritic cells. TmCpG NPs increased CD19, CD20, and OX40 expression on the lymphoma cells. Overall, we introduced a stable tmCpG NP design that has significant anti-lymphoma effects.
Headwinds and tailwinds to the rights-based approach to development: A regime theory perspective

The rights-based approach (RBA) to development is now accepted practice among experts in the United Nations (UN) development machinery, as well as key bilateral aid agencies and many nongovernmenta...
Exposure to 17β estradiol causes erosion of sexual dimorphism in Bluegill ( Lepomis macrochirus )

Estrogenic compounds including 17β estradiol (or E2) are known to negatively affect the reproductive system of many animals, including fish, leading to feminization, altered sex ratio, reduced fecundity, and decreased gonadosomatic index. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of varying concentrations of water-soluble 17β estradiol exposure on the external morphology of Bluegill. An experiment was set up where fish were individually maintained in 10-g tanks and exposed to 17β estradiol concentrations of 40 and 80 ng/L or no 17β estradiol exposure (the control). Fish were exposed for 21 days, with 17β estradiol replenished each week to account for 17β estradiol half-life. Fish were photographed laterally before and after the 21-day exposure to 17β estradiol. Landmark-based geometric morphometrics were conducted in MorphoJ and canonical variate and discriminant function analysis were used to compare the morphological changes in the fish under 17β estradiol exposure. The results showed that 17β estradiol exposure caused male dimorphic characters to change in Bluegill by becoming less prevalent. Specifically, there was a narrowing of the caudal peduncle, smaller nape protrusion, reduced opercular flap and pectoral fin, and a deeper body in the exposed groups compared with control fish under both concentrations. This research highlights the widespread effects of 17β estradiol on fish health beyond the reproductive system, which could have important conservation implications by affecting mate selection and reducing reproductive success.
First record of the trace fossil Protovirgularia in the Passaic Formation (Late Triassic), Newark Supergroup, near Milford, New Jersey

Fine-grained siltstones of the Late Triassic Passaic Formation, near Milford, New Jersey, has yielded the first evidence of the trace fossil Protovirgularia in the Newark Supergroup of New Jersey. ...
Effect of Intraoperative Fluid Administration on Post-operative Urinary Retention in Patients Undergoing Outpatient Anorectal Surgery

Post-operative urinary retention, POUR, is a common and potentially avoidable occurrence following surgery under anesthesia. We assessed whether the volume of intraoperative fluid administered is a causative factor of POUR in the setting of outpatient anorectal surgery. Anorectal operations at Hahnemann Hospital from January 2007 to February 2019 were reviewed. A total of 573 patients treated by two surgeons were studied. Data recorded consisted of the procedure date, discharge date, return date if applicable, age, sex, anesthetic type, and amount of perioperative intravenous fluid (IVF). Patients with a prior history of POUR were excluded. The chi-square test for homogeneity was used to assess the individual effects of age, sex, type of anesthetic, and amount of perioperative IVF on the rate of POUR. A p value of 0.05 was considered significant. Seventeen of the 573 patients in the study (3%) had urinary retention, 14 of the 442 males and 3 of the 131 females. POUR was seen in 5 of the 255 patients that had less than 500 mL of intravenous fluids, whereas 12 of 318 had 500 or more mL of fluids. We found that type of anesthesia and length of surgery were significant. No significance was found in amount of IVF used. Using more or less than 500 mL of intraoperative fluid did not have a significant impact on the rates of POUR in outpatient anorectal surgeries. Anesthesia type and surgery duration appear to decrease the occurrence of POUR in these patients.
Time and meaning in the void between hope and despair.

It is with gratitude to Professor Wilkinson that I assemble these thoughts to the beautiful and haunting melodies of Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14. In the practice of paediatric palliative care, the wavering tension between the Maiden’s Cry and Death’s Response, that dance between hope and despair, unfolds daily in similarly beautiful and haunting ways. Schubert’s interpretation of the dialogue offers welcome connection across time and space. In that context, Wilkinson takes on the challenging question of what it means for children to die well or to die poorly. Through examples of deaths (including Schubert’s) that went poorly, he explores the many ways that death and dying can be bad. From the loss of valuable future life to the presence of pain and suffering, to the manner of dying being contrary to an individual’s wishes, to the negative impacts of a bad death on family members, caregivers and clinicians, each element that may contribute to a bad death is addressed. He then looks to the opposite of those bad elements to illuminate what makes a good death or dying process, and suggests a temporal consideration for evaluating a death’s relative value: ‘sometimes it would be better to die sooner rather than later, because longer existence would not in any meaningful way …
Metabolomic signatures of the short-term exposure to air pollution and temperature.

Abstract Background Short-term exposures to air pollution and temperature have been reported to be associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. However, mechanistic understanding of the affected metabolic pathways is still lacking and literature on the short-term exposure of air-pollution on the metabolome is limited. Objectives We aimed to determine changes in the plasma metabolome and associated metabolic pathways related to short-term exposure to outdoor air pollution and temperature. Methods We performed mass-spectrometry based untargeted metabolomic profiling of plasma samples from a large and well-characterized cohort of men (Normative Aging Study) to identify metabolic pathways associated with short-term exposure to PM2.5, NO2, O3, and temperature (one, seven-, and thirty-day average of address-specific predicted estimates). We used multivariable linear mixed-effect regression and independent component analysis (ICA) while simultaneously adjusting for all exposures and correcting for multiple testing. Results Overall, 456 white men provided 648 blood samples, in which 1158 metabolites were quantified, between 2000 and 2016. Average age and body mass index were 75.0 years and 27.7 kg/m2, respectively. Only 3% were current smokers. In the adjusted models, NO2, and temperature showed statistically significant associations with several metabolites (19 metabolites for NO2 and 5 metabolites for temperature). We identified six metabolic pathways (sphingolipid, butanoate, pyrimidine, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, propanoate, and pyruvate metabolisms) perturbed with short-term exposure to air pollution and temperature. These pathways were involved in inflammation and oxidative stress, immunity, and nucleic acid damage and repair. Conclusions This is the first study to report an untargeted metabolomic signature of temperature exposure, the largest to report an untargeted metabolomic signature of air pollution, and the first to use ICA. We identified several significant plasma metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with short-term exposure to air pollution and temperature; using an untargeted approach. Those pathways were involved in inflammation and oxidative stress, immunity, and nucleic acid damage and repair. These results need to be confirmed by future research.
Supracristal Ventricular Septal Defect Complicated by Formation of an Aorto-Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Fistula: A Rare Cause of Biventricular Enlargement

Aorto-right ventricular outflow tract fistulas typically occur secondary to trauma, infective endocarditis, and sinus of Valsalva aneurysm rupture. We describe an unusual case of a spontaneous aorto-right ventricular outflow tract fistula in the absence of such findings, instead forming secondary to a complicating supracristal ventricular septal defect and leading to dilated cardiomyopathy.
Proteomic profiling identifies CLEC4C expression as a novel biomarker of primary graft dysfunction after heart transplantation.

PURPOSE Clinical models to identify patients at high risk of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) after heart transplantation (HT) are limited, and the underlying pathophysiology of this common post-transplant complication remains poorly understood. We sought to identify whether pre-transplant levels of circulating proteins reporting on immune activation and inflammation are associated with incident PGD. METHODS The study population consisted of 219 adult heart transplant recipients identified between 2016 and 2020 at Duke University Medical Center, randomly divided into derivation (n = 131) and validation (n = 88) sets. PGD was defined using modified ISHLT criteria. Proteomic profiling was performed using Olink panels (n = 354 proteins) with serum samples collected immediately prior to transplantation. Association between normalized relative protein expression and PGD was tested using univariate and multivariable (recipient age, creatinine, mechanical circulatory support, and sex; donor age; ischemic time) models. Significant proteins identified in the derivation set (p < 0.05 in univariate models), were then tested in the validation set. Pathway enrichment analysis was used to test candidate biological processes. The predictive performance of proteins was compared to that of the RADIAL score. RESULTS Nine proteins were associated with PGD in univariate models in the derivation set. Of these, only CLEC4C remained associated with PGD in the validation set after Bonferroni correction (OR [95% CI] = 3.04 [1.74,5.82], p = 2.8 × 10-4). Patterns of association were consistent for CLEC4C in analyses stratified by biventricular/left ventricular and isolated right ventricular PGD. Pathway analysis identified interferon-alpha response and C-type lectin signaling as significantly enriched biologic processes. The RADIAL score was a poor predictor of PGD (AUC = 0.55). CLEC4C alone (AUC = 0.66, p = 0.048) and in combination with the clinical covariates from the multivariable model (AUC = 0.69, p = 0.018) improved discrimination for the primary outcome. CONCLUSIONS Pre-transplantation circulating levels of CLEC4C, a protein marker of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), may identify HT recipients at risk for PGD. Further studies are needed to better understand the potential role pDCs and the innate immune response in PGD.
COMPUTER AIDED PROPELLER PRELIMINARY DESIGN, USING THE B-SERIES

Preliminary propeller design is formulated by considering the interactions of the engine, the hull, the wake and the propeller, while the fuel consumption is established as the optimization criterion. The purpose of this study is to formulate the problem in a clear manner, illustrated by examples, in order to develop an efficient design tool which will be used to deal with the complex problem of evaluating the performance of a ship on a specific sea route, given the weather statistics. The optimization procedure is developed in a mathematical form for fuel consumption minimization and then applied in conjunction with the B-Series, whose value is generally recognized. A critical-analysis of the B-Series data showed the need for a laminar flow correction. A method has been implemented and the corrected data have shown excellent agreement with experimental data. Finally, a simplified example is worked out to demonstrate the optimization of the performance of a vessel on a specific sea route.
Honor, Politics, and the Law in Imperial Germany, 1871–1914: The development of the law

German modernization, far from loosening the hold of a culture of honor, strengthened and expanded it. The law itself was crucial in this respect. In the course of the nineteenth century, German law was liberalized as it moved from an adjudication system based on estate ( Stand ) to one of formal equality and civil rights. Defamation law followed suit and was reconstituted along more democratic lines. But this transformation, rather than undermining the old values of honor, provided them with a new lease on life. The result, by the Kaiserreich, was a hybrid legal culture that merged key liberal legal principles – the Rechtsstaat , legal equality, civil rights – with a jurisprudence that assumed and protected the social hierarchies and status differences embedded in the concept of honor. In so doing, it provided the institutional basis for the vast expansion of defamation lawsuits, as the conflicts of modern society came to play themselves out in honor disputes. Legal developments in Prussia were key here, since it was Prussia's criminal code that formed the basis for the statutory laws regulating defamation after German unification in 1871. Two critical developments determined the shape of the Kaiserreich's defamation laws: (1) the end of a jurisprudence based on legally unequal estates; (2) the liberal rediscovery of the Privatklage , which was part of the broader fight against an arbitrary, politicized justice system – a cause that profoundly stamped mid-century liberalism. Medieval and early-modern justice looked very different from what it would become in the nineteenth century.
Inquiring Minds: Quality Social Studies Teaching and Learning and the C3 Framework

The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework, recently released through the National Council for the Social Studies, offers social studies teachers and leaders a way forward for the development of standards and curriculum as well as serving as a guide for quality social studies instruction. This article discusses connections between the C3 Framework and NCSS's vision of powerful social studies teaching and learning, as well as how the framework and the vision serve together to guide students towards active inquiry and civic engagement.
Entanglement dynamics in three-qubit X states

I explore the entanglement dynamics of a three-qubit system in an initial $X$ state undergoing decoherence including the possible exhibition of entanglement sudden death. To quantify entanglement I utilize negativity measures and make use of appropriate entanglement witnesses. The negativity results are then extended to $X$ states with an arbitraty number of qubits. I also demonstrate nonstandard behavior of the tripartite negativity entanglement metric: its sudden appearance after some amount of decoherence, followed quickly by its disappearance. Finally, I solve for a lower bound on the three-qubit $X$-state concurrence, demonstrate when this bound goes to $0$, and outline simplifcations for the calculation of higher-order $X$-state concurrences.
Structurally Defective Galactose-binding Protein Isolated from a Mutant Negative in the β-Methylgalactoside Transport System of Escherichia coli

Abstract The galactose-binding protein was isolated and purified from a mutant, EH3039, defective in the β-methylgalactoside transport system. The purification consisted of cold osmotic shock, ammonium sulfate precipitation, electrofocusing, Sephadex G-100 chromatography, preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and chromatography through Bio-Gel P-150. The mutant protein cross-reacts with antibodies against wild type galactose-binding protein and exhibits identical molecular weight as measured by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Peptide mapping of the tryptic digests shows that the mutant binding protein has changed pattern in comparison with the wild type protein, demonstrating a change in the polypeptide chain of the protein upon mutation of the wild type. The protein possesses binding affinity for d-galactose with a dissociation constant higher than 0.1 mm. The conformational change observed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with the wild type binding protein upon binding of d-galactose does not occur with the mutant protein. However, it does show an increase in fluorescence at 336 nm (excitation 290 nm) in the presence of high concentrations of d-galactose, as does the wild type. The half-maximal increase of fluorescence occurs at 3.4 mm d-galactose, in contrast to the wild type value of 1 µm. d-Glucose and d-glyceryl-1-β-d-galactoside, which are active with wild type binding protein, also give rise to fluorescence increase in the mutant protein at concentrations higher than 1 mm. The mutant strain, EH3039, has been reverted to a transport-positive phenotype. The galactose-binding protein of this revertant was also purified and shown to exhibit properties characteristic for the wild type protein: binding towards galactose has a Kdiss of 0.2 µm; binding of substrate induces a conformational change resulting in an increase of electrophoretic mobility of the protein at pH 8.3; binding of substrate also increases the tryptophan fluorescence of the protein at a half-maximal substrate concentration of 1 µm. The simultaneous alteration in the structure and activity of the galactose-binding protein upon mutation of a wild type strain (W3092cy-) to a transport-negative mutant (EH3039) and its reversion to a transport-positive strain (LA39) clearly demonstrates the essential role of the galactose-binding protein in the function of the β-methylgalactoside transport system.
Electron transport and emittance diagnostics in CIRFEL

Electron pulses for the Northrop Grumman Compact Free Electron Laser CIRFEL are produced at a repetition rate of up to 10 Hz by the illumination of a Mg photocathode with a photon injector 261 nm seed laser system mode locked to the 20th sub-harmonic of 2.856 GHz. Presently the system is being operated in the 10 to 12 MeV energy range and spontaneous radiation has been observed. We present some preliminary results on electron beam characterization including its energy spread, energy stability, and spontaneous radiation observations.
True Malignant Mixed Tumor (Carcinosarcoma) of Parotid Gland With Unusual Mesenchymal Component

Abstract True malignant mixed tumor (carcinosarcoma) of the salivary gland is an extremely rare tumor. By definition, it is composed of both malignant epithelial and malignant mesenchymal elements. The most common type of the former is squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma and the most common type of the latter is chondrosarcoma, followed in frequency by fibrosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and in rare instances liposarcoma. We report a case of true malignant mixed tumor of the parotid gland in association with a pleomorphic adenoma in a 47-year-old man that contained a very unusual type of malignant mesenchymal component, rhabdomyosarcoma. Cytologic and histologic features and immunohistochemical results are presented. In addition, the literature is reviewed, and the possible histogenesis and pathogenesis of malignant mixed tumor of the salivary gland are briefly discussed.
Consistency of adolescents' self-report of sexual behavior in a longitudinal study

This study examines three issues relevant to adolescent self-reported sexual behavior: the extent to which adolescents rescind reports of sexual intercourse, changes in reporting of lifetime sexual intercourse, and changes in reported age at first sexual intercourse. Data come from a three-year longitudinal study of health-compromising behaviors among a cohort a 758 rural adolescents. Students completed a self-administered questionnaire on health behaviors annually in eighth, ninth, and tenth grades. Findings show that 88.8% of students in eighth grade and 94.3% in ninth grade who reported having had sexual intercourse gave the same answer in a subsequent year. Approximately 15% of students reported fewer numbers of lifetime sexual intercourse experiences in tenth grade than they did in ninth grade. Age at first sexual intercourse was reported inconsistently by 67% of the students. Inconsistency rates differed by racial-gender groups, question sensitivity, and prior sexual experience.
Enthalpy Changes for Brønsted Acid-Base Reactions on Silica

Abstract Reaction enthalpies for Bronsted acid-base reactions on pyrogenic silica were determined by titrating an aqueous suspension of solid particles with standard acids and bases in an isoperibol calorimeter. Formation of negative surface charge by proton desorption from a hydroxyl functional group is endothermic. In the limit of an uncharged surface, the reaction enthalpies range from 0-10 kJ/mol of charge. This range for silica is smaller than that measured on other oxide minerals (15-30 kJ/mol) by other researchers. The reaction enthalpies on silica become increasingly endothermic by approximately 1-2 kJ/mol of charge for each μC/cm2 change of charge densities as the pH (and total charge density) increases from the point of zero charge (p.z.c.). These enthalpy changes are interpreted with a modified form of the Bragg-Williams model of interactions among adsorbed species, yielding mixing parameters and activity coefficients for the surface complexes.
PAL gene activity and rosmarinic acid production in rosemary genotypes.

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) catalyzes the biosynthesis of rosmarinic acid (RA) in Rosmarinus officinalis. Increases in RA content in plant tissue in vitro coincided with increases in PAL activity. The activity of the gene responsible for the production of the PAL enzyme in five rosemary genotypes was investigated to better understand the accumulation of RA. The expression of the PAL gene was relatively high in genotypes “Majorca,” R. officinalis, and “Madeline Hill” and low in “Pine Scented” and “Arp.” The highest genotype in PAL gene expression, “Madeline Hill,” had the lowest RA production in the leaves. This could be due to tissue specific regulation inside plant tissues; however, inside callus tissues, tissue specific regulation no longer existed, and RA in callus was produced in repetitively large amounts in genotypes with the high PAL gene expression.
THE STANDARDIZED WORK WEEK AND THE ALLOCATION OF TIME

SUMMARY Minimum-wage, maximum hours legislation constrains employers in the hours of work they offer weekly to employees. Implications of this standardized work week are discussed here in the context of theories of the allocation of time. Some confounding of the effects due to income differences in such theories is shown to be possible because the value of consumers’ time is no longer indicated by their wage rates. Retail organization and service industries also can be expected to adjust to the differences in time value. Possible welfare bases for the standardized work week are noted.
Studies of the solvent extraction of silver oxinate

Summary A study of the extraction of 10 −7 M silver ion from various aqueous solutions into various organic solvents containing oxine has been carried out. The effects of pH, the presence of water-soluble complexing agents, oxine concentration, and temperature have been investigated. Extraction constants have been calculated and theoretical interpretations of the data are offered.
The structure of the hypothalamic inferior lobes of the blacktip reef shark: Scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations

The inferior lobes of the shark hypothalamus were examined with light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The cells bordering the floor of the lateral recess appear to be typical liquor-contacting neurons. With scanning electron microscopy (SEM) the apical ends of these cells are seen to bulge into the ventricular lumen. In contrast, the roof is lined by a more typical ependymal cell characterized by numerous cilia and microvilli. In addition, SEM reveals several kinds of supraependymal cells with processes that appear to penetrate the ventricular lining. A periventricular nucleus underlies the ependymal cells. Neurons of the periventricular nucleus contain numerous lipofuchsin granules. The rest of the inferior lobe consists of many neuronal fibers. The morphology of the hypothalamic inferior lobe is discussed in relation to its possible role in feeding and aggressive behavior in both elasmobranchs and teleosts.
Imaging tumor response following liver-directed intra-arterial therapy

Liver-directed intra-arterial therapies are palliative treatment options for patients with unresectable liver cancer; their use has also resulted in patients being downstaged leading to curative resection and transplantation. These intra-arterial therapies include transarterial embolization, conventional transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), drug-eluting bead TACE and radioembolization. Assessment of imaging response following these liver-directed intra-arterial therapies is challenging but pivotal for patient management. Size measurements based on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been traditionally used to assess tumor response to therapy. However, these anatomic changes lag behind functional changes and may require months to occur. Further, these intra-arterial therapies cause acute tumor necrosis, which may result in a paradoxical increase in tumor size on early follow-up imaging despite complete cell death or necrosis. This concept is unique comparing to changes seen following systemic chemotherapy. The recent development of functional imaging techniques including diffusion-weighted MRI (DW MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) allow for early assessment of treatment response and even prediction of overall tumor response to intra-arterial therapies. Although the results of DW MRI and PET studies are promising, the impact of these imaging modalities to assess treatment response has been limited without standardized protocols. The aim of this review article is to delineate the best practice for assessing tumor response in patients with primary or secondary hepatic malignancies undergoing intra-arterial therapies.
Practice patterns in the management of isolated oligohydramnios: a survey of perinatologists

Objective. Optimal management of isolated oligohydramnios (IO) remains debatable. We surveyed Society for Maternal–Fetal Medicine (SMFM) members regarding their opinions and practice patterns.Study Design. Questionnaires were mailed to perinatologists across the US. IO was defined as sonographic low fluid (per the practitioner's definition) in the absence of intrauterine growth restriction, fetal anomaly or significant maternal comorbidity.Results. The overall response rate was 35% (n = 632). Ninety-two percent of respondents consider IO to be a risk factor for various adverse outcomes. With a favourable cervix, 34% and 82% would consider inducing labour without documented lung maturity prior to 37 and 39 weeks, respectively. When asked whether induction of labour in cases of IO reduces perinatal morbidity, 45% were unsure and 21.4% thought it would not. Only 33% believe induction could decrease adverse outcomes. Newer members of SMFM (<10 years) and those of private practice were more likely to believe t...
Composite ohmic contacts to SiC

Composite ohmic contacts designed for SiC devices operating in air at 350°C have been studied. Ohmic contacts to n- and p-4H-SiC were protected against inter-diffusion and oxidation by Ta-Si-N layers obtained by sputter deposition from a TaSi2 target in a mixture of Ar and N2. Platinum was sputter-deposited at 250°C to promote adhesion between the Ta-Si- N barrier layer and a thick Au cap layer. Platinum also acts as a barrier to the diffusion of Au. The electrical and mechanical characteristics of the composite contacts were stable after hundreds of hours of annealing in air at 350°C. We report the effects of thermal aging on the specific contact resistance and the semiconductor sheet resistance, and the results of wire bond pull and shear tests following aging for Ta-Si-N / Pt / Au stacks deposited on both SiO2 dielectric layers and the ohmic contact layers.
Developing life cycle management plans for power plant components

A process to develop life cycle management (LCM) plans for power plant components is described. An LCM plan is a guide to make operational decision for a piece of equipment over its life cycle. An LCM typically consists of preventive maintenance schedule, condition monitoring and inspection activities, replacement or refurbishment plans and spares management. It is developed on the basis of component failure modes, operating history, maintenance practices, ageing, spares and obsolescence. Once an LCM plan has been formulated it can be compared with other alternative LCM strategies in order to minimize the long term costs over the plant lifetime. For this purpose, a program comprising of three modules is built using Excel VBA. The first module deals with failure rate estimation of a component based on right censored failure data. The second module attempts to estimate the impact of different preventive maintenance schedules on failure rates and the third module is a life cycle cost calculator which estimates the net present value of future costs over the plant lifetime.
AlGaN/GaN field effect transistors with C-doped GaN buffer layer as an electrical isolation template grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract The effectiveness of Ammonia Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) grown carbon-doped GaN buffer layer as an electrical isolation template was investigated. AlGaN/GaN field effect transistor structures with a product of sheet electron density and mobility ( n s μ ), linearly increasing from 1.5 × 10 16 V −1 s −1 to 2 × 10 16 V −1 s −1 with n s , were grown on 2-μm-thick carbon-doped GaN buffer layer over sapphire substrates. The measurement of the gate-to-source voltage ( V GS ) dependent drain current ( I D ) demonstrated excellent dc pinch-off characteristics as revealed by an on-to-off ratio of 10 7 for a drain–source voltage ( V DS ) up to 15 V. The gate leakage current was less than 1 μA/mm at the subthreshold voltage ( V th = −5.2 V). Inter-devices isolation current ( I ISO ) measurements demonstrated I ISO values in the low pico-amperes ranges indicating a complete suppression of the parallel conduction paths. Small-signal rf measurements demonstrated a f max / f t ratio as high as 2.9 attesting the absence of charge coupling effects.
On the measurement of biological diversity

Abstract In optimizing strategies aimed at the conservation of biological diversity, it is necessary to compare the consequences of competing strategies for biological diversity. This paper presents a general approach to this problem. An example concerning the conservation of crane species is given.
Effect of acute or chronic pentobarbital administration on the steady state levels and the turnover rates of catecholamines in discrete brain areas of mice

Abstract 1. 1. In mice receiving a single injection of sodium pentobarbital, 75 mg/kg, i.p., the whole brain catecholamine contents did not change. However, norepinephrine levels of the diencephalon and mesencephalon and dopamine contents of the cortex and the striatum were increased by acute pentobarbital treatment. The depletion of norepinephrine after the treatment of α- methyl- p tyrosine , 250 mg/kg, 4 hr before sacrifice, was significantly smaller in the cortex, the pons plus medulla oblongata and the cerebellum in acute pentobarbital-treated animals. The rate of dopamine depletion after α- methyl- p -tyrosine treatment in the striatum was also slower than that of the control group. 2. 2. In pentobarbital tolerant animals, decreases in norepinephrine level of the pons plus medulla oblongata and in dopamine content of the striatum were observed. The depletion of dopamine after α- methyl- p -tyrosine treatment was significantly smaller than that of the control group. 3. 3. In pentobarbital dependent animals, changes of catecholamine steady state levels in discrete areas of the brain were returned to normal. The rates of norepinephrine depletion observed after α- methyl- p -tyrosine treatment in the cortex and the pons plus medulla oblongata were significantly greater than that of the control groups. 4. 4. The present results suggest that acute pentobarbital causes a depression of catecholaminergic neuronal activity by a decrease of catecholamine turnover (degradation) and the development of tolerance to pentobarbital accompanies with the suppression of catecholamine synthesis. In contrast, the norepinephrine turnover increases after the occurrence of abrupt withdrawal.
Structural analysis by matrix methods for forces not at the coordinates

Abstract The analysis of structures with forces not at the coordinates is developed and demonstrated for both the flexibility and stiffness methods. In the flexibility method a “free coordinate state” is defined in a superposition of element forces. The free coordinate state element displacements δ i 0 are computed from Betti's Law using the displacement configurations associated with the columns of the element flexibility matrices. In the stiffness method a “fixed coordinate state” is defined in a superposition of element displacements. The fixed coordinate state element forces P i 0 are computed from Betti's Law using the displacement configurations associated with the columns of the element stiffness matrices. It is shown that the problems of “thermal expansion” and “lack of fit” are treated by the same procedure as that used for forces not at the coordinates.
Effect of NH2-MWCNTs on crosslink density of epoxy matrix and ILSS properties of e-glass/epoxy composites

Abstract Crosslink density is one of the important parameters that govern the physical properties of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Enhancement of crosslink density by effective matrix modification through nanoparticle incorporation is the most prominent way to improve mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of FRP composites. In this study, at first, 0.1–0.4 wt.% amino-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NH2-MWCNTs) were incorporated in SC-15 epoxy system and the variation in crosslink density was investigated using rubber elasticity theory. Subsequently, the effect of these MWCNTs on interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of e-glass/epoxy composites was studied. Result obtained from the tests showed a linearly increasing trend in crosslink density and ILSS properties from 0 to 0.3 wt.% MWCNTs loading. Better dispersion of MWCNTs facilitated more crosslinking sites, whereas, the three-way reaction between amine functional groups of MWCNTs with epoxide groups of resin and epoxy silanes of fiber surfaces improved the crosslinking and thereby ILSS properties of e-glass/epoxy composites.
In vitro labelling of antibody globulin by tritium exchange.

CRAWHALL, Hawkins and Smyth1 have reported the preparation of tritiated antibody by biosynthesis. The report of successful labelling of lysozyme and ribonuclease by in vitro tritium exchange2 suggested that antibodies might also be amenable to tritiation by the latter method, which has the advantages of simplicity, larger yields, and usually results in products of sufficiently high specific activity to permit their use as reagents in radioautographic studies.
Race, gender, and attitudes toward gender stratification

This paper addresses the intersection of race and gender in contemporary American society by exploring how one aspect of gender relations, the degree of agreement between men and women in their attitudes toward gender stratification, varies between blacks and whites. Both black men and black women tend to express more criticism in their gender-related attitudes than whites, and the level of agreement between the sexes is greater for blacks. I interpret this greater agreement in the context of the resistance to racial inequality, levels of exposure to gender inequality, and the degree of interdependence between the sexes among blacks
Effects of topography on the beta-drift of a baroclinic vortex

The propagation of compact, surface-intensie ed vortices over a topographic slope on the beta-plane is studied in the framework of a two-layer model. A perturbation theory is derived for a circular vortex in the upper layer with the lower layer at rest as a basic state. An integral momentum balance for the upper layer is used to obtain expressions for the velocity of the vortex center assuming the e ow is quasi-stationary to leading order. This approach allows the calculation of the lower-layer e ow pattern as a function of the interface shape and the slope orientation. The essential part of the lower-layer e ow pattern is elongated dipolar gyres generated by the cross-slope vortex drift which remains nearly the same as in the reduced-gravity approximation, although it is slightly modie ed when the slope is not constant. Therefore, the major effect of the lower-layer e ow is an additional along-slope propagation which is proportional to the cross-slope speed and the ratio of the interface slope to the topographic slope. Both along-slope and cross-slope drift components are found to be also affected by the slope variation.