cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adsorption of urinary gonadotrophins on kaolin.

SummaryA method is described for the adsorption of gonadotrophic hormones from urine onto kaolin and their subsequent elution with ammonium hydroxide. The relatively small volume of the eluate reduces the amount of alcohol needed to precipitate the hormone from solution, the final extracts are less toxic and can be prepared in a shorter time. The hormone assays are comparable to those obtained with the usual alcohol recipitation method.
Campus Officers’ Explanations of Traffic Stop Sanctions

Prior traffic stop studies rarely consider officers’ qualitative explanations of their sanctioning decisions and are based largely on municipal officers. This article explores campus officers’ explanations of how they sanctioned drivers. Data were gathered from fieldwork with campus officers at a large southeastern U.S. university. Findings reveal officers usually handle traffic offenders leniently, opting for no sanction and written warnings over citations and custodial arrest. Officers named seven sanctioning reasons that fit into three broad and interrelated perspectives on crime and punishment. Implications of the findings for future research and policy are discussed.
Reliability and Predictive Validity of the Dean Laterality Preference Schedule with Preadolescents

The reliability and predictive validity of scores of the Dean Laterality Preference Schedule were estimated with 50 preadolescent children. The schedule is a self-report measure of a respondent's lateral preference for a number of common tasks involving the eyes, ears, hands, feet. One week following the administration of the scale, data were collected on each child's lateral preference when performing the actual tasks. Analysis showed the schedule to be a good predictor of manual patterns of lateral preference. The temporal stability of scores was .91 when all subjects were retested 4 wk. after its initial administration. It was concluded that the scale meets minimum requirements of reliability and predictive validity with preadolescent children.
Variable Selection of Linear Programming Discriminant Estimator

ABSTRACTIn this paper, the variable selection property will be studied for the linear programming discriminant (LPD) estimator, denoted by with n being the sample size. The LPD estimator is used in high-dimensional linear discriminant analysis under the assumption that the Bayes direction is sparse which has support T. More exactly, we will study the property as n → ∞, which means sign consistency. A sufficient condition will be proposed under which the sign consistency property holds as log (p) ⩽ cn for small enough c > 0. The result is also non asymptotic. Our result gives optimal bounds on n and min a ∈ T|βa| and an optimal bound on .
Managing Conflicts and Diversity During Implementation of Programs and Other Changes

An annual wellness month programme/intervention during which employees self-report across a number of activities including dedicated exercise, healthy eating, and stress reduction at a nonprofit organization provides multiple lessons and insights. This chapter will focus on lessons learned and recommendations for both addressing various dimensions of human diversity in wellness interventions and managing conflicts that might arise during implementation.
On dynamic link inference in heterogeneous networks

Network and linked data have become quite prevalent in recent years because of the ubiquity of the web and social media applications, which are inherently network oriented. Such networks are massive, dynamic, contain a lot of content, and may evolve over time in terms of the underlying structure. In this paper, we will study the problem of dynamic link inference in temporal and heterogeneous information networks. The problem of dynamic link inference is extremely challenging in massive and heterogeneous information network because of the challenges associated with the dynamic nature of the network, and the different types of nodes and attributes in it. Both the topology and type information need to be used effectively for the link inference process. We propose an effective two-level scheme which makes efficient macroand micro-decisions for combining structure and content in a dynamic and time-sensitive way. The time-sensitive nature of the links is leveraged in order to perform effective link prediction. We illustrate the effectiveness of our technique over a number of real data sets.
Channel Effects and Mitigation Approaches in Free-Space and Underwater Optical Communications Using Orbital Angular Momentum Multiplexing

We discuss atmospheric turbulence effects and turbulence mitigation approaches in free-space optical links employing multiplexing of orbital-angular-momentum (OAM) beams. We also describe the use of OAM multiplexing for high-capacity underwater optical transmission.
The Physics of Tire Traction: A Review of Current Theory

When we were in the planning stage for this Symposium, some individuals thought that the physics of tire traction was too narrow a subject to be the topic for a two day meeting. If anything, we certainly have demonstrated that two days is too brief a time in which to attempt to thoroughly treat this multifaceted problem.
Faith and steadfastness in the face of counter-evidence

It is sometimes said that faith is recalcitrant in the face of new evidence, but it is puzzling how such recalcitrance could be rational or laudable. I explain this aspect of faith and why faith is not only rational, but in addition serves an important purpose in human life. Because faith requires maintaining a commitment to act on the claim one has faith in, even in the face of counter-evidence, faith allows us to carry out long-term, risky projects that we might otherwise abandon. Thus, faith allows us to maintain integrity over time.
Student Engagement Across Cultures - Investigating Lecture Software

Most instructors are looking for ways to improve student engagement in higher education classrooms across the globe. With the influx of tablets and laptops as the tool for students in the 21 st century, the question arises of how best to integrate technology into the design of a lecture and is there a difference when designing a lecture with technology across cultures? The purpose of this study was to investigate lecture software in the classroom. Students and instructors from Singapore and the U.S. participated. The instrument, to collect the perceptions of the lecture software was the Student Engagement Survey, and the results reveal that active learning was a common educational thread across the globe by using the lecture software technology.
Response to Dietary Supplement Use, Knowledge, and Perceptions Among Student Pharmacists.

To the Editor: We would like to thank Marku and McCarthy for their letter offering further perspectives on our manuscript evaluating dietary supplement use between student pharmacists and the general population.[1][1] In their letter, Marku and McCarthy correctly observed that only the third year
Book review: Joseph N. Cayer and Meghna Sabharwal, Public Personnel Administration: Managing Human Capital:

Joseph N. Cayer and Meghna Sabharwal, Public Personnel Administration: Managing Human Capital (6th edition). San Diego, CA: Birkdale Publishers, 2016, 348 pp. $50–$60 USD.
Risk of Rape Across the Ecosystem: Outlining a Framework for Sexual Assault Risk Reduction and Resistance Education

Abstract Sexual assault—a constellation of behaviors ranging from unwanted contact to completed rape ( Black et al., 2011 ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004 )—occurs at alarmingly high rates and leads to a host of deleterious outcomes for victims, communities, and society ( Black et al., 2011 ; Calhoun, Mouilso, & Edwards, 2012 ; Campbell, Dworkin, & Cabral, 2009 ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011 ). Although primary prevention efforts that target potential perpetrators are critical, to date primary prevention efforts alone have not proved effective at eliminating sexual assault ( Gidycz et al., 2010 , Gidycz et al., 2011 ). Prevention of sexual assault is most likely to be effective if it is comprehensive and targets multiple risk and protective factors for both perpetration and victimization experiences ( Banyard, 2013 ; Cohen & Swift, 1999 ; DeGue, 2014 ). There is also an increasing recognition in the field of prevention sciences that it is critical to understand the factors that promote or hinder positive bystander action (i.e., actions taken by a witness to prevent or stop a sexual assault from occurring; Banyard, 2011 ; Banyard, Plante, & Moynihan, 2004 ; Edwards, Neal, & Rodenhizer-Stampfli, 2017 ; Krug, Mercy, Dahlberg, & Zwi, 2002 ).
Current Concepts in the Physiology of the Cornea

Since the standard texts (Duke-Elder, 1968; Davson, 1969) were last revised, there have been few major advances in our understanding of how the cornea carries out its function, but, rather, earlier concepts have been consolidated or modified. This article will review the present status of some of the more important aspects of corneal physiology and problems arising from them, and will deal in turn with the transparency and the mechanics of the tissue and then with its hydration control and nutrition.
A Survey of Modern Analysis on Graphs: Open Problems

Commute times/effective resistances have long been used for semi-supervised learning on graphs due to multiple appealing heuristic justifications and relative ease of computation. However, recent external work by von Luxburg and collaborators has shown that commute times/effective resistances in certain classes of random geometric graphs may converge to trivial local quantities. The extent of this phenomenon is not presently known. Given a general large graph, it would be helpful to know whether or not the output of such algorithms will exhibit this pathology.
Parental Psychiatric Symptoms and Children's Outcomes: Toward Understanding and Responding to Intergenerational Risk in Child Psychiatry.

Family history of psychiatric illness is a core feature of any competent clinical history taken in a child and adolescent psychiatry clinical setting, and this history is often limited to reviewing caregivers' reports of diagnosed or suspected mental disorders in biological parents and relatives across several generations. Less commonly included is a detailed inquiry into parents' and caregivers' current mental health, including psychiatric symptoms at the time that their child is presenting for evaluation. Recent evidence is a strong reminder that parental mental illness is an important adversity that critically affects lifelong mental well-being in offspring, and that maternal depression in particular is an established factor influencing offspring mental health.1-3 In this issue of the Journal, Wesseldijk et al. present their article "Do Parental Psychiatric Symptoms Predict Outcome in Children With Psychiatric Disorders? A Naturalistic Clinical Study," an effort to examine relationships between parental psychiatric symptoms and clinical outcomes in child psychiatric patients.4 The study moves beyond a focus on maternal depression as a risk factor for offspring psychopathology to include a range of active psychiatric symptomatology in both mothers and fathers at the time that children are presenting for clinical evaluation, and again at follow-up over a year and a half later.
Search Engine, Inc.: Growth Versus Exit Strategy for a Mature Tech Start-Up:

This case is about an information technology start-up that has grown into a global tech company in 10 years with revenue growth of 35.4% from 2008 to 2011. However, during that same period, four ma...
The Brain as Treasury and as Aqueduct: Metaphors of the Brain in Theodoret of Cyrrhus

In late antique theological texts, metaphors of the brain were useful tools for talking about forms of governance: cosmic, political, and domestic; failed and successful; interior discipline and social control. These metaphors were grounded in a common philosophical analogy between the body and the city, and were also supported by the ancient medical concept of the brain as the source of the sensory and motor nerves. Often the brain was imagined as a monarch or civic official, governing the body from the head as from an acropolis or royal house. This article examines two unconventional metaphors of the brain in the work of the fifth-century Greco-Syrian bishop Theodoret of Cyrrhus—the brain as a treasure within the acropolis, and the brain as a node in an urban aqueduct—both of which adapt the structural metaphor of governance to reflect the changing political and economic circumstances of imperial Christianity. Drawing upon medical theories of the brain, Theodoret expands upon the conventional governance metaphor of brain function to encompass the economic and the spiritual responsibilities of the bishop-administrator. Just as architectural structures (acropolis, aqueduct) contain and distribute valuable resources (treasure, water) within the city, so the brain accumulates and redistributes nourishing substances (marrow, blood, pneuma ) within the body; and just as the brain functions as a site for the transformation of material resources (body) into spiritual goods (mind), so the bishop stands as a point of mediation between earthly wealth and the treasures of heaven.
Text-message responsiveness to blood glucose monitoring reminders is associated with HbA 1c benefit in teenagers with Type 1 diabetes

AIMS To evaluate an 18-month text-messaging intervention in teenagers with Type 1 diabetes and to assess factors associated with text responsiveness and glycaemic benefit. METHODS Teenagers with diabetes (N = 147), aged 13-17 years, received two-way text reminders at self-selected times to check blood glucose levels and reply with blood glucose results. RESULTS At baseline, the participants (48% boys, 78% white, 63% pump-treated) had a mean ± sd age of 14.9 ± 1.3 years, diabetes duration of 7.1 ± 3.9 years and HbA1c concentration of 69 ± 12 mmol/mol (8.5 ± 1.1%). The mean proportion of days with ≥1 blood glucose response declined over time (0-6 months, 60 ± 26% of days, 7-12 months, 53 ± 31% of days, 13-18 months, 43 ± 33% of days). Over 18 months, 49% responded with ≥1 blood glucose result on ≥50% of days (high responders). Regression analysis controlling for baseline HbA1c revealed no significant change in HbA1c from baseline to 18 months in high responders (P = 0.54) compared with a significant HbA1c increase in low responders (+0.3%, P = 0.01). In participants with baseline HbA1c ≥64 mmol/mol (≥8%), high responders were 2.5 times more likely than low responders to have a clinically significant [≥5.5 mmol/mol (≥0.5%)] HbA1c decrease over 18 months (P < 0.05). In participants with baseline HbA1c <64 mmol/mol(<8%), high responders were 5.7 times more likely than low responders to have an 18-month HbA1c <58 mmol/mol (<7.5%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Teenagers with Type 1 diabetes who responded to text reminders on ≥50% of days over 18 months experienced clinically significant glycaemic benefit. There remains a need to tailor interventions to maintain teenager engagement and optimize improvements.
Provider-level rates of HEDIS-consistent HPV vaccination in a regional health plan.

Background. Health insurers are well-positioned to address low HPV vaccination coverage in the US through initiatives such as provider assessment and feedback. However, little is known about the fe...
The Oxford Handbook of American Indian History

The “Oxford Handbooks” series has introduced readers to new directions in a variety of historical fields, from Latin American history to the history of the Atlantic World. A recent addition to the ...
The use of mathematics in early childhood classroom transitions to foster co-construction of knowledge, negotiation, and cultural mediation

Abstract Research has revealed that preschoolers in the United States spend one third of their school day in routines and transitions between activities. Rethinking teacher-led activities, early educators can design play-based activities that incorporate content learning and honor children's funds of knowledge. This instrumental case study examines how two prekindergarten teachers systematically designed and implemented sophisticated play-based learning activities focused on mathematics in the transition time following meals. Results reveal that with support of the teacher in a social learning context, children were afforded the opportunity to socially construct new knowledge, negotiate understandings, and mediated cultural resources from outside of schooling. These dynamic learning experiences have potential to develop interpersonal skills and transform behaviors.
Using peer led team learning to assist in retention in computer science classes

Recent work in Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) has resulted in development of strategies and exercises for implementation of PLTL in the first course in Computer Science as well as two higher-level undergraduate courses at a public university with a largely commuter student population. Initial results identify many reasons why students are unable to take full benefit from offered PLTL Workshops, while demonstrating the significant advantages that junior and senior Computer Science majors feel they received from the PLTL experience. Suggestions for future success with PLTL are included.
Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Attachment to Natural Landscapes

Motivation has long been implicated as an antecedent to place attachment among recreationists. Research has framed this association around expectancy theory, suggesting that the realization of pref...
Innovative Strategies, Statistical Solutions and Simulations for Modern Clinical Trials

This book covers a wide range of classical and modern topics in clinical trials. It can broadly be divided in two parts. The first four chapters describe various issues related to drug development,...
Determinants and Consequences of Adolescent Fatherhood: A Longitudinal Study in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam.

Abstract Purpose Adolescent parenthood is a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the vast majority of the evidence has focused on adolescent motherhood. Little is known about adolescent fatherhood in LMICs. The aim of this study was to examine the determinants of early fatherhood and its consequences on a range of outcomes among adolescent males. Methods This study used three waves of longitudinal data from the multicountry Young Lives cohort study, specifically following a sample of 1,779 adolescent boys at ages 15, 19, and 22 years in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. Individual fixed effects models were conducted to investigate the sociodemographic determinants of adolescent fatherhood and the consequences of adolescent fatherhood on males' education, health, psychosocial well-being, and time use outcomes. Results The results indicated that lower educational attainment, absence of the adolescent's mother and father from the home, larger household size, and poverty increased the likelihood of becoming an adolescent father by age 22 years. The results revealed that becoming an adolescent father was associated with a higher likelihood of school dropout, being overweight, smoking, greater internalizing problems, and less time spent on leisure activities and more time spent on caregiving responsibilities. Conclusions Highlighting the experiences of young men as adolescent parents in LMICs, findings underscore the importance of prevention strategies to delay early parenthood for adolescent boys and multicomponent interventions to support young fathers and their unique health, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and behavioral needs.
dietr : an R package for calculating fractional trophic levels from quantitative and qualitative diet data

This article introduces an R package, dietr, which calculates fractional trophic levels from quantitative diet item and qualitative food item data following the routine implemented in TrophLab within the open source R environment. dietr is easy to use and can quickly calculate trophic levels for many diet records. In addition to calculating trophic levels following the TrophLab routines, users can also specify a taxonomic hierarchy and estimate trophic levels at multiple taxonomic levels in a single call of a function. Additionally, dietr works well with FishBase data obtained in R using rfishbase and comes with pre-made databases of prey trophic levels that users can utilize for estimating trophic levels. dietr can also calculate several prey electivity indices. I provide information on dietr’s performance and provide a use case example of how dietr can be used on an empirical dataset. Trophic levels for hundreds of specimens can be calculated in a few seconds and the flexibility of dietr’s input allows users to easily calculate trophic levels from their own data.
Exploring the Intersection of Technology and Policy in the Future Internet Architecture Effort

Policy-making and regulation have played a significant role in the current Internet architecture. In this paper we open that same sort of dialog with the architects of the set of Future Internet Architecture projects funded by the NSF and the EC. The paper examines both the architectures themselves and key policy topics, including (1) net neutrality, (2) naming, addressing, and network management, (3) the rise of platforms, and (4) security. In each case, in one or another of the novel architectures, the path forward with respect to the topic does not directly parallel what has occurred in the current architecture.
Impact of Prolonged Exposure to a Slippery Surface on Postural Stability.

Falls are extremely common in occupational settings. Intrinsic factors such as overexertion and extrinsic factors such as the supporting surface are causative factors of falls. The impact of prolonged exposure to a slippery surface on postural stability has not been previously studied. The purpose of the study was to analyze the effect of extended exposure to a dry and a slippery surface on postural stability. Eighteen males (age: 21.17 ± 3.38 years; height: 1.77 ± 0.08 m; mass: 89.81 ± 14.23 kg) were recruited and subjected to one-hour walking on a dry surface and a slippery surface on two different days. Participants’ balance was assessed using a force platform in stable and unstable conditions at 0, 30, and 60 min. Postural sway variables were analyzed using a 2 (surface) × 3 (time) repeated-measures ANOVA. Significant time main effects were observed in the stable condition with greater balance decrements at 30 and 60 min. Greater balance decrements were observed on the slippery surface compared to the dry surface in the unstable condition. The balance decrements can be attributed to overexertion due to the physiological workload of prolonged walking and to the potential gait modifications due to walking on the slippery surface.
Is D-dimer a Reliable Serum Marker for Shoulder Periprosthetic Joint Infection?

Background The diagnosis of periprosthetic shoulder infection continues to be difficult to make with confidence. Serum D-dimer has proven to be effective as a screening tool for periprosthetic joint infection in other major joints; however, it has yet to be evaluated for use in periprosthetic shoulder infection. Questions/purposes (1) Is D-dimer elevated in patients with probable or definite periprosthetic shoulder infections? (2) What is the diagnostic accuracy of D-dimer for periprosthetic shoulder infections? (3) What are the diagnostic accuracies of serum tests (erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], C-reactive protein [CRP], and D-dimer), singly and in combination? Methods Between March 2016 and March 2020, 94 patients undergoing revision total shoulder arthroplasty (anatomic or reverse) at a single institution had preoperative serum testing with CRP, ESR, and D-dimer. These 94 patients were a subset of 189 revision shoulder arthroplasties performed at this institution during the study period who met inclusion criteria and consented to participate. Included patients had a mean ± SD age of 69 ± 8 years, and 56% (53 of 94) were men. Patient records were reviewed to classify patients as definitely having infection, probably having infection, possibly having infection, or unlikely to have an infection, according to the International Consensus Meeting (ICM) definition of periprosthetic shoulder infection. Statistical analyses, including a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, were performed to quantify the diagnostic value of D-dimer for periprosthetic shoulder infection. Based on the ICM definition, 4% (4 of 94), 15% (14 of 94), 14% (13 of 94), and 67% (63 of 94) of patients had definite, probable, possible, or unlikely periprosthetic shoulder infections. Results D-dimer was elevated in patients with definite or probable infections (median [range] 661 ng/mL [150 to 8205]) compared with those with possible infections or those who were unlikely to have an infection (263 ng/mL [150 to 3060]; median difference 143 ng/mL [95% CI 40 to 503]; p = 0.01). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, D-dimer had an area under the curve of 0.71 (0.50-0.92), demonstrating weak diagnostic value. A D-dimer level of 598 ng/mL provided a sensitivity and specificity of 61% (95% CI 36% to 82%) and 74% (95% CI 62% to 83%), respectively, for diagnosing a definite or probable infection according to the ICM definitions. The specificity of detecting periprosthetic joint infection (88% [95% CI 79% to 94%]) was high when three positive serum markers (ESR, CRP, and D-dimer) were required, at the expense of sensitivity (28% [95% CI 10% to 53%]). Conclusion In periprosthetic shoulder infection, D-dimer is elevated. However, similar to other serum tests, it has limited diagnostic utility in identifying patients with periprosthetic shoulder infection. Further work is needed to understand the process by which D-dimer is associated with active infection. Level of evidence Level III, diagnostic study.
Elephant in the Room

Elephant in the Room is a speculative ecofeminist fable for the climate crisis. The animation addresses the elephant in the room—the climate emergency—by telling the story of one elephant who takes...
Skilled temporary and permanent immigrants in the United States

The US temporary migration system is closely intertwined with the permanent system. First, this paper defines the various temporary and permanent admission categories. It presents available statistics on the occupations of temporary migrants upon admission and upon adjustment to permanent residency, especially since the Immigration Act of 1990 went into effect in 1992. There has been a sizable increase in the number of temporary workers over the past few years and those who adjust from specialty workers (H-1B) and intracompany transferee (L) have increased the overall skill composition of permanent immigrants. Secondly, the paper reviews the literature on the labor market impact of temporary migrants in academics and in the private sector. While there are marked concentrations of foreign-born workers among the college educated and especially Ph.D.s, the literature raises concerns but does not establish adverse effects (wage differentials, unemployment, etc.). There is, however, reason for some concern given trends in the postdoctoral labor market and for employersin `job shops' who undercut US workers with temporary workers.
The implementation of dual-truncation Sigma Delta D/A converters

A novel D/A (digital-to-analog) conversion technique is introduced which achieves high linearity and high resolution D/A conversion by using two D/A converters (DACs): one with high linearity but low bit resolution and the other with low linearity but relatively high bit resolution. The key subsystems in this technique are the analog differentiators, which can have relatively large gain error but only very small phase error. The authors examine the issues concerning the implementation of these differentiators with switched-capacitor circuits. Simulation results indicate that using a 3-level and a 33-level DAC, the system achieves a 114 dB peak SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) value when the oversampling ratio is 128. In addition to increasing the SNR, the use of a multibit DAC also reduces the swing of the input signal to the analog smoothing filter, and thus reduces the nonlinear effects of this filter. >
Pathways for nitrate release from an alpine watershed: Determination using δ15N and δ18O

d 18 O(NO3) indicated that about half of the nitrate in stream water was the product of microbial nitrification; at other times that amount was greater than half. Springs emerging from talus deposits had high nitrate concentrations and a seasonal pattern in d 18 O(NO3) that was similar to the pattern in the streams, indicating that shallow groundwater in talus deposits is a likely source of stream water nitrate. Only a few samples of surface water and groundwater collected during early snowmelt and large summer rain events had isotopic compositions that indicated most of the nitrate came directly from atmospheric deposition with no biological assimilation and release. This study demonstrates the value of the nitrate double-isotope technique for determining nitrogencycling processes and sources of nitrate in small, undisturbed watersheds that are enriched with inorganic nitrogen. INDEX TERMS: 1806 Hydrology: Chemistry of fresh water; 1871 Hydrology: Surface water quality; 1803 Hydrology: Anthropogenic effects; 1854 Hydrology: Precipitation (3354); KEYWORDS: nitrogen, oxygen, isotopes, alpine, watershed, deposition
The Assumption and Eschatology: Excerpts/Summary from Transcript of Presentation

La definition du dogme de l'Assomption (1950) n'est pas un accident du aux circonstances tragiques du monde qui venait de vivre la Seconde Guerre mondiale| ce dogme a une portee eschatologique en montrant la Redemption pleinement achevee en Marie et garantie a l'humanite.
Evaluation of short-term climate change prediction in multi-model CMIP5 decadal hindcasts

[1] This study assesses the CMIP5 decadal hindcast/forecast simulations of seven state-of-the-art ocean-atmosphere coupled models. Each decadal prediction consists of simulations over a 10 year period each of which are initialized every five years from climate states of 1960/1961 to 2005/2006. Most of the models overestimate trends, whereby the models predict less warming or even cooling in the earlier decades compared to observations and too much warming in recent decades. All models show high prediction skill for surface temperature over the Indian, North Atlantic and western Pacific Oceans where the externally forced component and low-frequency climate variability is dominant. However, low prediction skill is found over the equatorial and North Pacific Ocean. The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) index is predicted in most of the models with significant skill, while the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index shows relatively low predictive skill. The multi-model ensemble has in general better-forecast quality than the single-model systems for global mean surface temperature, AMO and PDO.
A comparative study of environmental and developmental factors which influence embryo induction and growth in cultured anthers of Nicotiana Tabacum

Abstract The influence of the growth environment of the parent plant, the age of the parent plant, and the stage of pollen development on embryo induction and growth in cultured anthers of N. tabacum has been investigated. The medium used used and the incubation conditions were identical for all anthers cultured, so that differences in response could be attributed to the state of the anther (wall plus pollen) at the moment of culture. By compating the responses of anthers taken from six groups of plants grown in different environments, it was found that differences in photoperiod or light intensity produced a fivefold variation in the number of plantlets produced per anther. Plant age was of secondary importance, althouugh some plants showed up to a sevenfold decline in the number of plantlets produced the 1st to the 100th bud. Pollen stage, the least important of the factors investigated, revealed an optimum in response at the pollen grain mitosis, with a much lower response from older pollen. The possible physiiological basis of these results, together with the connection between floral induction and embryo growth, are discussed.
Contrasts in Tectonic style of the Central and Southern Appalachians, United States: Insights from seismic reflection data

Abstract Two reflection seismic transects, one across the central Appalachians in Virginia and the other across the southern Appalachians in Georgia, reveal a significant contrast in mid- and lower crustal reflectivity from east to west. Data from east of the Blue Ridge geologic province in Virginia and to the east of the Inner Piedmont in Georgia show a highly reflective crust extending from the near-surface to the Moho, including zones of east-dipping reflections, a sub-horizontal reflection signature at ∼7 seconds, and a west-dipping Moho. Reflection seismic data from west of the Blue Ridge in Virginia and Inner Piedmont farther south are characterized by reflector geometries related to deformation above a master decollement, leading to classic ‘thin-skinned’ tectonic structures in the overlying allochthon, and few if any apparent structures in the underlying basement. The location of the Iapetan rifted margin, the preexistence of favorably oriented structures to the east of this point, and sub-horizontal weak zones within the lower Paleozoic shelf strata have played critical roles in the distribution of seismic reflector geometry. Seismic reflection signatures seen in the southeastern United States are a result of multiple episodes of deformation from the early Paleozoic through the middle Mesozoic. Oblique stresses during late Paleozoic time produced transpression that manifested itself as predominantly strike-slip faulting to the east of the Blue Ridge/Inner Piedmont. Onlapping lower Paleozoic shelf strata responded to tectonic stresses through thin-skinned deformation above a master decollement during the late Paleozoic Alleghanian orogeny, aided in part by sub-horizontal zones of weakness in the strata. This partitioning of strain was supported via tectonic buttressing provided by Precambrian continental crust that was little deformed in the Taconic orogeny. During the Alleghanian orogeny, the variations in Valley and Ridge deformational style between the central and southern Appalachians were controlled by the original shape of the continental edge. Further deformation during Mesozoic extension occurred to the east of the Precambrian rift margin in the region where favorably oriented faults were reactivated, leading to the rotation of the fault zones from more steeply dipping initial orientations, the merging of the mid-crustal reflection zone with the Moho, and the formation of Mesozoic basins and antiformal reflections in the seismic sections.
Effects of linker-insertion mutations in herpes simplex virus 1 gD on glycoprotein-induced fusion with cells expressing HVEM or nectin-1.

Several cell surface molecules, including HVEM and nectin-1, can serve as entry receptors for herpes simplex virus (HSV) and as receptors for virus-induced or viral glycoprotein-induced cell fusion. The viral ligand for these receptors is the HSV envelope glycoprotein gD. A set of linker-insertion and deletion mutants of HSV type 1 (HSV-1) gD was analyzed for effects of the mutations on binding of gD to HVEM and nectin-1, on viral glycoprotein-induced cell fusion with target cells expressing HVEM or nectin-1 and on complementation of infectivity of a gD-null HSV-1 viral mutant. Insertions after amino acid 151 or 225 or deletion of amino acids 234–244 disrupted (i) binding of the mutant forms of gD to both receptors and (ii) functional interactions (cell fusion and complementation) with both receptors, but were without effect on cell surface expression. Insertions in the N-terminal domain of gD (after amino acid 12, 34 or 43) disrupted binding to HVEM and functional activities with HVEM, as expected from a previously reported X-ray structure of a gD–HVEM complex, but were without effect in the case of nectin-1. These and other results indicate that the mutations disruptive of interactions with both receptors probably affect conformations of contact sites that are different for each receptor.
The economics of coal supply—The state of the art

Abstract With the mounting interest in national energy problems has come intensification of efforts to determine the future economic availability of fuels. Until well into the 1970s, work concentrated on estimation of oil and gas supplies. However, subsequently numerous evaluations of coal supply have emerged. Such studies share with earlier work on oil and gas dependence upon an inadequate statistical base. Energy has been one of many areas in which governmental data gathering has badly lagged behind national information requirements.‡ Nevertheless, the fragmentary work that has been possible suggests that the availability of low cost coal resources may be greatly exaggerated.§ In the present article, this work on coal is reviewed. The discussion begins with an effort to show what is required in principle for a satisfactory supply analysis. Then the key studies are evaluated. Most supply analyses prove to be modifications of work undertaken by the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) Process Evaluation Group (Peg) at Morgantown, West Virginia. Therefore, the Group's work is given special attention. This is followed by a review of alternative models of the determinants of coal-mining costs at a particular time, a note on the handling of cost changes over time and discussion of efforts to assign reserves to cost categories. The study concludes with proposals for further research.
Moral medicine: symbolic content in 19th century Shaker therapeutics.

This paper presents an analysis of the symbolic meanings implicit in an ostensibly empirical therapeutic system. The Shakers, a celibate communal religious order founded in New York State in the mid 1770s, were practitioners of botanic medicine, as were many other Americans in the nineteenth century. This study analyzes the therapeutic properties of the herbs they produced (such as diuretic, stimulant, narcotic, emetic, astringent), using a classification scheme based on the location of the botanical substance's effect vis-a-vis body boundaries and surfaces. The Shakers' beliefs about the therapeutic properties of their herbs are compared with similar analyses of the properties given by two contemporary nineteenth century New England proponents of herbal medicine, botanist Constantine Rafinesque and sectarian practitioner Samuel Thomson. The comparison shows systematic variation in emphasis given to herbs which regulate internal body processes, or act through the openings of the body or on its surface. In this context Shaker medicine can be characterized as quickening, internal, and purifying in its effects on body processes, effects which are highly consistent with Shaker religious beliefs in active, physical worship, selflessness and spiritual purification by confession.
ORNITHINE AMINOTRANSFERASE (OAT): EVIDENCE FOR A DISPERSED GENE FAMILY WITH MEMBER(S) LOCALIZED TO Xp11.1 – Xp21.1

OAT is a homotetrameric, mitochondrial matrix enzyme deficient in the autosomal recessive retinal degeneration, gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina. We have cloned and sequenced a near full length human OAT cDNA. We used this to probe genomic DNA digested with various restriction enzymes and found up to 15 OAT-hybridizing fragments (OAThf). They map to 2 locations: 1/3 are on chromosome 10 (10-OAThf) and represent the OAT structural gene; 2/3 are on Xp11.1-21.1 (X-OAThf). Examination of primate DNAs show that this division of X- and autosomal-OAThf has existed for at least 25 million yrs. The X-OAThf do not hybridize to a near full-length cDNA for ornithine transcarbamylase, another ornithine-metabolizing enzyme mapping to Xp21.1. We isolated OAT-hybridizing genomic clones from chromosomes 10 and X. Preliminary sequence analysis of one X clone shows discrete blocks of high nucleotide homology (92%) to OAT cDNA with in-frame stop codons and typical intron-exon junctions indicating that it is a non-processed pseudogene of either OAT or another DAT-related gene. Comparison of the sequences of clones from 10 and X shows similar but not identical positioning of intron-exon junctions. These results suggest that the OAT structural gene on 10 is a member of a small dispersed gene family with a non-processed pseudogene and probably other members all localized to Xp11.1 to Xp21.1.
Illegal transposition of mating-type genes in yeast.

Abstract Mating-type switching in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae involves the transposition of a copy of a or α information from unexpressed "library" genes, HML or HMR , to replace the sequence at the mating type locus, MAT . In normal homothallic strains, where conversions of MAT may occur as often as every cell division, the switching of MAT alleles does not alter the alleles at HML or HMR . We have discovered that several mutations within or adjacent to MAT that impair the excision of the MAT allele permit conversions of the alleles at HML or HMR in more than 1% of the cells analyzed. The two mutations within the MAT locus ( MAT a- inc and MAT α- inc ) can transpose to HML or HMR without being lost at MAT . Thus a MAT α- inc HML α HMR a HO strain can switch to MAT α- inc HML α HMR α- inc HO . Even though the α- inc and a- inc alleles prevent their own replacement at MAT , these sequences are efficiently transposed back from HML α- inc or HMLa- inc to replace normal MAT alleles. When these alleles reappear at MAT , they are again blocked in excision. Thus the sequences used to remove an allele from MAT must differ from those used to replicate and transpose it. Two cis-acting stk mutations adjacent to MAT that block switching of MAT a to MATα also induce the conversion of HML α to HML a. However, we have previously shown that these events do not occur in strains carrying a recessive "switch" mutant ( swi1 ) or in strains carrying a defective allele of the HO gene. In stk1 MAT a HO strains, HML α was converted to HML a in approximately 4% of the subclones examined. In contrast, the HML α- inc sequence was not converted in similar stk1 MAT a HO strains. Thus the excision of the α- inc sequence seems to be prevented at both MAT and HML . These results suggest that the illegal conversions of HML and HMR occur by a mechanism similar to that used for normal conversions of MAT .
Optical phonon characteristics of diamond, beryllia, and cubic zirconia

Diamond, beryllia, and cubic zirconia are potential optical window materials that feature high strength, hardness, and high melting temperatures. Diamond, in particular, is receiving considerable attention concerning the fabrication of polycrystalline films and windows. To fully appreciate the potential of these materials as infrared windows, the optical properties must be accurately known. Optical phonons, both single and multiple, determine the intrinsic absorption properties and infrared-active single-phonon transitions contribute to the index of refraction. Both beryllia and cubic zirconia are composed of ionic bonds. This means that dipole moments will exist for some of the vibrational modes and they will be infrared active. These modes can be observed in reflection spectra. The higher harmonics and combination bands of the one-phonon band form the multiphonon band absorption. The region of the three-phonon band determines the beginning of infrared transparency in these materials. Intrinsic diamond is composed of covalent bonds with a high degree of symmetry and hence has no infrared active one phonon bands. However, lattice defects produce weak one-phonon absorption bands in the region of 1000 cm. Also, multiphonon combination bands of inactive one-phonon and Raman bands produce significant absorption beyond 1800 cm. Experimental reflection spectra of beryllia and cubic zirconia from 200 to 1200 cm, and experimental transmission spectra of intrinsic type ila diamond from 500 to 5000 cm are presented. These experimental data are used to determine the necessary optical parameters for models of the complex index of refraction as a function of frequency and temperature.
Effect of ZnO Nanowire Doping on the Properties of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Schottky Diodes

Doping polymers with inorganic nanomaterials to form hybrid nanocomposites is an attractive approach to develop new lightweight optoelectronic materials with unique or improved properties. In this work, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) Schottky diodes, doped with ZnO nanowires at different P3HT-to-ZnO concentrations, were studied. Device fabrication was carried out by drop casting the nanocomposite on a Pt electrode followed by thermal evaporation of an Al top electrode. ZnO nanowires were prepared via a physical vapor method with Zn as a source. The nanowires were dispersed in chlorobenzene, then the P3HT powder was added. Properties of the diodes were investigated using capacitance-voltage and current-voltage measurements. In addition, electrical resistance of the nanocomposite films was also investigated using a two-point probe measurement with Pt as Ohmic contacts. Results showed that ZnO nanowire doping decreases the built in potential of the diode and the electrical resistance of the nanocomposite film.
Review: Steroids, US, electromagnetic field therapy, and nocturnal splinting have moderate, short-term effectiveness for the carpal tunnel syndrome

Source Citation Huisstede BM, Hoogvliet P, Randsdorp MS, et al. Carpal tunnel syndrome. Part I: effectiveness of nonsurgical treatments—a systematic review. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2010;91:981-1004....
Large-N expansion for unitary superfluid fermi gases

We analyze strongly interacting Fermi gases in the unitary regime by considering the generalization to an arbitrary number N of spin-1/2 fermion flavors with Sp(2N) symmetry. For N=\infty this problem is exactly solved by the BCS-BEC mean-field theory, with corrections small in the parameter 1/N. The large-N expansion provides a systematic way to determine corrections to mean-field predictions, allowing the calculation of a variety of thermodynamic quantities at (and in the proximity to) unitarity, including the energy, the pairing gap, and upper-critical polarization (in the case of a polarized gas) for the normal to superfluid instability. For the physical case of N=1, among other quantities, we predict in the unitarity regime, the energy of the gas to be \xi=0.28 times that for the non-interacting gas and the pairing gap to be 0.52 times the Fermi energy.
Abdominal Obesity in Older Women: Potential Role for Disrupted Fatty Acid Reesterification in Insulin Resistance

Context: Excess abdominal adiposity is a primary factor for insulin resistance in older age. Objectives: Our objectives were to examine the role of abdominal obesity on adipose tissue, hepatic, and peripheral insulin resistance in aging, and to examine impaired free fatty acid metabolism as a mechanism in these relations. Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Setting: The study was performed at a General Clinical Research Center. Participants: Healthy, inactive older (>60 yr) women (n = 25) who were not on hormone replacement therapy or glucose-lowering medication were included in the study. Women with abdominal circumference values above the median (>97.5 cm) were considered abdominally obese. Main Outcome Measures: Whole-body peripheral glucose utilization, adipose tissue lipolysis, and hepatic glucose production were measured using in vivo techniques according to a priori hypotheses. Results: In the simple analysis, glucose utilization at the 40 mU insulin dose (6.3 ± 2.8 vs. 9.1 ± 3.4; P < 0.05), ...
Anticipation in familial Hodgkin lymphoma.

The author wishes to thank two anonymous reviewers, for helpful discussions and insightful suggestions, and Drs. Seymour Grufferman, Andrew Collins, and Jeff O'Connell, for critical comments. Support from National Cancer Institute research grant R01CA47473-08 is gratefully acknowledged.