cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
And then there were more ? The effect of organizational sex composition on the hiring and promotion of managers

We study how organizational sex composition influences the intraorganizational mobility of male and female managers. We test hypotheses linking organizational sex composition to hiring and promotion using longitudinal data on all managers in the California savings and loan industry. We find that the impact of sex composition depends on hierarchical level: Not only does it matter what relative proportions of men and women are working in organizations, but it also matters at what levels in the managerial hierarchies they are working. Our findings demonstrate a catch-22 situation: Women are more likely to be hired and promoted into a particular job level when a higher proportion of women are already there. The question remains, how can women gain entry into these positions? We also find that women are more likely to be hired and promoted when there is a substantial minority of women above the focal job level, but not when women constitute the majority in those higher-level positions: Hence women in high ranks can sometimes be a force for demographic change. Finally, we find evidence that women are more likely to be hired and promoted when higher proportions of women hold positions below the focal job level, indicating that gains made by women are not entirely dissipated by endogenous organizational processes.
Extinction of the estrogen-induced daily signal for LH release in the rat: a role for the proestrous surge of progesterone.

The heightened secretion of estrogen on diestrus-2 is required for the release of an ovulatory amount of LH on the following day, proestrus. Though these surges occur once every 4–5 days in cycling rats, the treatment of ovariectomized rats with a single injection of estrogen results in daily proestrus-like surges of LH. The present study was designed to test the possibil ity that progesterone, secreted on proestnis, prevents the daily expression of LH surges in cycling animals. The administration of estradiol benzoate (EB, 50 µg) to ovariectomized rats resulted in daily surges of LH secretion for 3 consecutive days. These surges were similar in the timing of onset and duration to the preovulatory surge of LH on proestrus. Serum LH concentrations were not increased on either the second or the third day when 5 mg of progesterone was given at 1600 h on the day of the first surge. These data suggest that progesterone blocks the expression of daily LH surges induced by estrogen. To determine whether this rela...
Coffee, tea, and caffeine consumption and risk of rheumatoid arthritis: results from the Iowa Women's Health Study.

Objective To evaluate whether coffee, tea, and caffeine consumption are risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) onset among older women. Methods These factors were evaluated in a prospective cohort study that was initiated in 1986 and that included 31,336 women ages 55–69 years without a history of RA. Risk factor data were self-reported using a mailed questionnaire. Through 1997, 158 cases of RA were identified and validated against medical records. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used as the measures of association and were adjusted for age, alcohol use, smoking history, age at menopause, marital status, and the use of hormone replacement therapy. Results Compared with those reporting no use, subjects drinking ≥4 cups/day of decaffeinated coffee were at increased risk of RA (RR 2.58, 95% CI 1.63–4.06). In contrast, women consuming ≥3 cups/day of tea displayed a decreased risk of RA (RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16–0.97) compared with women who never drank tea. Caffeinated coffee and daily caffeine intake were not associated with the development of RA. Multivariable adjustment for a number of potential confounders did not alter these results. The associations of RA onset with the highest categories of decaffeinated coffee consumption (RR 3.10, 95% CI 1.75–5.48) and tea consumption (RR 0.24, 95% CI 0.06–0.98) were stronger in women with seropositive disease compared with those with seronegative disease (RR 1.54, 95% CI 0.62–3.84 and RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.27–3.20, respectively). Conclusion Decaffeinated coffee intake is independently and positively associated with RA onset, while tea consumption shows an inverse association with disease onset. Further investigations of decaffeinated coffee and tea intake as arthritis risk factors are needed to verify these findings and explore their biologic basis.
Surface tension obtained from various smectic-a liquid-crystal free-standing films

Abstract Employing a straightforward experimental technique, we have investigated the surface tension of various liquid crystal compounds in the smectic-A and smectic-Ad phases. The results clearly demonstrate the significant role of molecular packing in determining the surface tension.
Charge-state distributions of nitrogen ions resulting from the foil-induced dissociation of 4.2-MeV N2 + ions.

We have studied the dependence of the charge-state distributions of heavy-ion fragments resulting from the foil-induced dissociation of 4.2-MeV N/sub 2/ /sup +/ ions on the thickness of the carbon target foil. The results are compared to those distributions measured for impact of 2.1-MeV N/sup +/ projectiles. Whereas the mean charge state for atomic-ion impact is already equilibrated in moderately thin targets (2 ..mu..g/cm/sup 2/), those measured for molecular-ion impact are strongly dependent on the target thickness, even for the thickest targets (20 ..mu..g/cm/sup 2/). The distributions for molecular-ion impact show a marked shift towards lower charge states, evidencing an enhanced electron-capture probability over the case of monatomic-ion impact. A quantitative model is described which explains this phenomenon by reducing the two-center potential of the cluster fragments to a separation-dependent one-center potential.
Supporting correlation analysis on scientific datasets in parallel and distributed settings

With growing computational capabilities of parallel machines, scientific simulations are being performed at finer spatial and temporal scales, leading to a data explosion. Careful analysis of this data holds much promise for future scientific discoveries. Particularly, correlation analysis, which focuses on studying the potential relationships among multiple variables, is becoming a useful method for scientific analysis. This paper focuses on the problem of correlation analysis across large-scale simulation datasets, including 1) accelerating this analysis with the use of bitmap indexing as a representative summary of the data, 2) developing efficient algorithms for parallel execution, 3) performing analysis in distributed environments, i.e., for cases where different attributes are stored in geographically distributed repositories, and 4) combining sampling with correlation analysis. These algorithms have been implemented in a system that provides a high-level API for specification of the analyses, including allowing correlation analysis on specified value-based and dimension-based subsets of the data, and supports interactive and incremental analysis. We have extensively evaluated our framework for efficiency, and have also carried out case studies with domain scientists to establish how it can aid data-driven discovery process.
Comparing the timing of exits from substitute care

Abstract Longitudinal data on a cohort of 8,625 children who entered substitute care were used to compare the timing of three types of exit from substitute care: discharge to family or guardian, adoption, and running away from care. This involved examination of the “hazard functions” of each of the three exits including consideration of the associations between these hazards and child, family, and service system factors. The hazards of the three exits changed over time but in dissimilar ways. Furthermore, explanatory variables had contrasting impacts on the three exits. These findings suggest that the exit process in substitute care is best understood as a combination of a number of distinct but interrelated exit processes.
“Just How Much Did That Wheelchair Cost?”: Management of Privacy Boundaries by Persons with Disabilities

Persons with physical disabilities were studied to determine how they communicate when they perceive ablebodied persons are expecting or demanding disclosure about their disability in new relationships. An interpretive analysis was performed on 350 pages of transcripted data from interviews with disabled adults. The results showed that disabled persons were able to describe the communication of ablebodied others and their attributions when disclosure was demanded or expected. This study revealed communication strategies disabled persons use to manage disclosure. These strategies were discussed as regulating privacy boundaries, whereby disabled persons seek to be acknowledged as “persons first” by controlling dissemination of private information.
Analysis of ribosomal RNA indicates seasonal fungal community dynamics in Andropogon gerardii roots

Use of the reverse-transcribed small subunit of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) was tested for exploring seasonal dynamics of fungal communities associated with the roots of the dominant tallgrass prairie grass, Andropogon gerardii. Ribosomal RNA was extracted, reverse-transcribed, and PCR-amplified in four sampling events in May, July, September, and November. Analyses of cloned PCR amplicons indicated that the A. gerardii rhizospheres host phylogenetically diverse fungal communities and that these communities are seasonally dynamic. Operational taxonomic units with Basic Local Alignment Search Tool affinities within the order Helotiales were dominant in the rhizosphere in May. These putative saprobes were largely replaced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with likely affinities within Glomerales suggesting that the fungal communities are not only compositionally but also functionally dynamic. These data suggest replacement of functional guilds comprised of saprobic fungi by mutualistic fungi in the course of a growing season.
Treatment of keloid

A case is presented in which a large infected keloid of the back of the neck was widely excised and the edges of the tumor were injected with triamcinolone acetate. The area was covered with partial thickness skin graft. The steroid injections were continued postoperatively. At fourteen months follow-up, there is no evidence of recurrence.
Michael Dransfield on the New England Highway

The paper explores the influence of a writers' retreat, led by Al Alvarez in Armidale in 1968, on the poetry of Michael Dransfield.
A sub-1V CMOS voltage reference generator

In this paper, a low-voltage (sub-1 Volt) resistor-free voltage reference is presented. The complete design was simulated and laid out in AMI 0.5 µm CMOS process. The design provides a temperature coefficient of 12.8 ppm/°C over a temperature range from 25 to 100 °C and occupies an area of 0.037 mm2. Circuit description and experimental results of the proposed design are also presented.
Hemispheric Differences and Spatial Ability in Robot to Human Tactile Communication

Robots are following an evolutionary path similar to computers. One obstacle for this evolution is language interaction between humans and robots. Traditionally, human-to-robot language has been one way in the form of commands from human to robot. One path of robot-to-human language is tactile. Tactile communication affords the user a hands-free method of interaction. Hands-free tactile communication is an asset for military ground personnel allowing the hands, eyes, and ears to be fully utilized for other tasks. Speech and language are traditionally associated with the left cerebral hemisphere. Since tactile communication does not include the traditional auditory pathway of verbal language, there is potential for employing a more right cerebral hemisphere spatial pathway. The present study looks at the right and left cerebral hemispheric activity measured by an electroencephalogram of participants using a vibrotactile belt for robot to human communication.
SCIRun2: a CCA framework for high performance computing

We present an overview of the SCIRun2 parallel component framework. SCIRun2 is based on the common component architecture (CCA) as stated by R. Armstrong et al. (1999) and the SCI Institutes' SCIRun by C. Johnson and S. Parker (1999). SCIRun2 supports distributed computing through distributed objects. Parallel components are managed transparently over an M/spl times/N method invocation and data redistribution subsystem. A meta component model based on CCA is used to accommodate multiple component models such as CCA, CORBA and Dataflow. A group of monitoring components built on top of the TAU toolkit as stated in Advanced Computing Laboratory (1999) evaluate the performance of the other components.
HAWAIIAN HONEYCREEPER HOME RANGE SIZE VARIES WITH HABITAT: IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIVE ACACIA KOA FORESTRY

Reforesting degraded landscapes with native, high-value timber trees may contribute to biodiversity protection while also increasing the economic value of the land. Ideally, reforested areas should have the habitat characteristics to support viable populations of native fauna. We investigated habitat use by Akiapolaau (Hemignathus munroi), an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper, in three habitat types: a relatively intact old-growth forest, an old-growth forest with a long history of grazing, and a native Acacia koa plantation. We quantified habitat characteristics, calculated foraging preferences, mapped home ranges, measured territoriality, and determined reproductive success at all sites. We found that Akiapolaau were highly selective foragers, foraging primarily on A. koa despite its relative scarcity in the environment, and then secondarily on several subcanopy species. Home range size was significantly smaller at the intact old-growth site and the A. koa plantation, the two sites with the greater cover...
Spectroscopic and spectrometric differentiation between abiotic and biogenic material on icy worlds

The ability to differentiate abiotic organic material from material of a biological origin is a critical task for astrobiology. Mass spectrometry and spectroscopy provide key tools for advancing this task and are two techniques that provide useful and highly complementary compositional information independent of a specific biochemical pathway. Here we address some of the utility and limitations of applying these techniques to both orbital and in situ exploration of icy moons of the outer solar system.
High-efficiency GaN/AlGaN HEMT oscillator operating at L-band

This paper presents a new design method to implement the high efficiency oscillator based on the AlGaN/GaN HEMT for the wireless power transmission (WPT) system. The oscillator has been developed with Sc2O3-passivated AlGaN/GaN HEMT and has achieved the maximum efficiency of 40.5% and the maximum output power of 23 dBm for WPT applications. With both the high output power of the circuit and inherent device material advantages, the phase noise performances of −97 dBc/Hz and −125 dBc/Hz at offsets of 100 kHz and 1 MHz, respectively, have been achieved. To our knowledge, the achieved efficiency is the highest ever reported for a GaN oscillator.
Chemical bonding in energetic materials: β-NTO

The electron density and related properties of the quasi-stable β form of 5-nitro-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-one (NTO; space group P21/c) have been determined from a low-temperature [100 (1) K] X-ray diffraction experiment. ­Intensities were measured with a 2K CCD Bruker diffractometer using Ag Kα radiation. Two detector settings, several φ settings, 0.3° ω scans and 160 s exposure time per frame gave Rint = 0.0215 for 68 989 (4080 unique) reflections and (sin θ/­λ)max = 1.23 A−1. The Hansen–Coppens [Acta Cryst. (1978), A34, 909–921] multipole model as implemented in the XD program gave R = 0.0333 (all reflections), which allowed calculation of the electron density, Laplacian and electrostatic potential distributions. The bonding (3,−1) critical points and the molecular dipole moment of 3.2 (1) D were also obtained. Chemical bonding in the molecule is discussed.
Here a Chief, There a Chief: The Rise of the CFO in the American Firm:

This article examines the rise of the chief financial officer (CFO) position among American firms during the period 1963-2000. Building on event-history models of CFO adoptions among a sample of some 400 large corporations, this analysis documents two stages in the diffusion of the CFO model that occurred prior to its ultimate embodiment of the shareholder-value ideal. The CFO function originated as part of the conglomerate ideal to handle the funding of diversifying acquisitions. In response to an ambiguous regulatory change in accounting rules in 1979, which threatened to reduce reported earnings further at a time when corporate earnings already were under great strain, corporate leaders and finance professionals reconstructed the CFO as a solution. The CFO's popularity quickly surged as a result, and the role kept expanding in the following years to focus on managing shareholders and stock prices.
Proteomic mapping in live Drosophila tissues using an engineered ascorbate peroxidase

Characterization of the proteome of organelles and subcellular domains is essential for understanding cellular organization and identifying protein complexes as well as networks of protein interactions. We established a proteomic mapping platform in live Drosophila tissues using an engineered ascorbate peroxidase (APEX). Upon activation, the APEX enzyme catalyzes the biotinylation of neighboring endogenous proteins that can then be isolated and identified by mass spectrometry. We demonstrate that APEX labeling functions effectively in multiple fly tissues for different subcellular compartments and maps the mitochondrial matrix proteome of Drosophila muscle to demonstrate the power of APEX for characterizing subcellular proteomes in live cells. Further, we generate "MitoMax," a database that provides an inventory of Drosophila mitochondrial proteins with subcompartmental annotation. Altogether, APEX labeling in live Drosophila tissues provides an opportunity to characterize the organelle proteome of specific cell types in different physiological conditions.
Radionuclide Assessment of the Effects of Chest Physical Therapy on Ventilation in Cystic Fibrosis

This study assesses the use of krypton 81m scintigraphy as a measurement tool in evaluating the effectiveness of bronchial drainage with percussion and vibration on peripheral ventilation in patients with cystic fibrosis. Ten patients with cystic fibrosis participated. Each patient underwent a krypton 81m ventilation study and traditional pulmonary function tests. Forty-five minutes later, these studies were repeated before and after a chest physical therapy treatment. Each patient acted as his own control. All krypton 81m scintiscans were recorded and analyzed visually and numerically using a digital computer to assess distribution of ventilation. Visual analysis of the scintiscans indicated individual variation in treatment response: in some patients ventilation improved with therapy; in others, no change was noted; still others had changes independent of treatment. Numerical data derived from the scintiscans and pulmonary function tests showed no important differences among the three studies of each patient. Airway abnormalities characteristic of cystic fibrosis, progression of the disease, sputum production, or a combination of these factors may account for the individual variation in response to treatment. Krypton 81m scintigraphy is a reliable measure of regional ventilation and should be useful for assessing the efficacy of chest physical therapy because of the consistent, high quality visual data retrieved.
Lessons from the Automobile Reorganizations

In both Chrysler and General Motors, the government was, among other things, a large creditor exercising control over its debtor and pushing for a speedy sale of the assets. Together the two cases capture the issues central to large Chapter 11 cases today. The debate over speedy sales of businesses in Chapter 11 is over. Sales are now the norm in large reorganizations. Instead of asking whether there should be sales in bankruptcy, we need to ask how to police various forms of abuse. Three years after the fact, we can begin to draw some conclusions about the reorganizations of Chrysler and General Motors. The government’s use of the bankruptcy laws to inject tens of billions into two of the country’s largest automobile companies had its intended effect. At the start of 2009, General Motors and Chrysler were bleeding to death. 2 Maintaining either business as a going concern required a massive infusion of capital no one in the private market was willing to provide. As a result of the government’s intervention, the basic structure of the American automobile industry was preserved.
Computer-aided simulation of optical interconnects for high-speed digital systems

The authors discuss optical interconnects, with emphasis on computer-aided modeling and simulation of optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEIC). Results are presented on laser diodes driven by GaAs MODFET driver circuits, optical waveguides, photodetectors and MODFET amplifiers to drive digital GaAs circuits. The models have been verified using iSMILE a CAD tool for OEIC. The speed advantage of optical interconnects over the conventional metallic interconnects has been projected in terms of the routing distance and the fanout count. The optical interconnect is clearly superior for long distance and for high fanouts. For short distance and low fanouts, it can also become superior when very-low-power laser diodes and more efficient photodetectors become available. >
CAE techniques for GaAs ASIC design

Discusses CAE techniques which have been utilized in applying 'standard' CAE tools to a somewhat nonstandard design situation-the creation of extremely high-speed digital integrated circuits on gallium arsenide substrates. This paper will concentrate chiefly on those aspects which are unique to this endeavor-the extremely high edge and data rates, for example-and the behaviors of the standard tools, which, adequate or useful for moderate speed silicon designs, have become stumbling blocks to designing GaAs ICs. >
Subunit Contributions to Insect Olfactory Receptor Function: Channel Block and Odorant Recognition

Insect olfactory receptors are heteromeric ligand-gated ion channels composed of at least one common subunit (Orco) and at least one subunit that confers odorant specificity. Little is known about how individual subunits contribute to the structure and function of the olfactory receptor complex. We expressed insect olfactory receptors in Xenopus oocytes to investigate 2 functional features, ion channel block and odorant recognition. The sensitivity of Drosophila olfactory receptors to inhibition by ruthenium red, a cation channel blocker, varied widely when different specificity subunits were present, suggesting that the specificity subunits contribute to the structure of the ion pore. Olfactory receptors formed by Dmel\Or35a and Orco subunits from several different species displayed highly similar odorant response profiles, suggesting that the Orco subunit does not contribute to the structure of the odorant-binding site. We further explored odorant recognition by conducting a detailed examination of the odorant specificity Dmel\Or67a + Dmel\Orco, a receptor that responds to aromatic structures. This screen identified agonists, partial agonists, and an antagonist of Dmel\Or67a + Dmel\Orco. Our findings favor specific subunit arrangements within the olfactory receptor complex and provide a preliminary odorophore for an olfactory receptor, offering a useful foundation for future exploration of insect olfactory receptor structure.
Current Challenges in Using Patient-Reported Outcomes for Surgical Care and Performance Measurement: Everybody Wants to Hear From the Patient, but Are We Ready to Listen?

There is growing interest in the use of patientreported outcomes (PROs) in clinical care and for measuring performance, particularly for surgical care. PROs complement traditional clinical outcomes of morbidity and mortality and capture the patient’s perspective regarding the operation. For example, does a patient’s pain and mobility improve after a knee replacement? Does a patient’s sexual function remain intact after rectal cancer surgery? PROs may be more important to patients and caregivers than many traditional outcomes, and they may serve as a basis for truly patient-centered care. PROs serve two main purposes. 1 First, at the point of care, PROs extend the traditional review of systems and allow empirical identification of patients with postoperative symptoms who may benefit from intervention (eg, a worse-than-expected PRO mobility score may trigger a physical therapy consultation). Second, PROs may serve as important measures for assessing provider performance. 2 Comparative PRO data can be fed back to providers to spur internal quality-improvement initiatives if providers find they have worse performance than expected. Moreover, benchmark PRO data can be publicly reported for hospital and/or surgeon comparisons, thus allowing patients and referring physicians to identify high-quality providers. For the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have proposed collection of PROs after certain surgical procedures. 3 PROs will also be introduced in Meaningful Use 2, with even more requirements anticipated in Meaningful Use 3. 4 If PROs are to be used successfully, the need for both clinical use and performance profiling must be considered jointly. Despite the increasing national spotlight on PROs, there remain logistical and methodological challenges to their use that we have realized through recent pilot studies, although some solutions may be on the horizon.
A comparison of some nonparametric tests for scale

This paper presents simulated power functions for the sum of squared ranks, Wilcoxon Savage's T and locally most powerful tests for the two-sample scale problem using small samples drawn from gamma distributions. Also, pitman efficiencies of each of these tests relative to the best test test are compared for gamma distributionsd. In addition, the sum of squared ranks is shown to be prferable to a composite test due to Woinsky in some situations.
Statistical thermodynamics of triple-helix unzippering for the collagen model (Gly-Pro-Pro)n and implications for natural collagen.

Interpreting the data of Kobayashi et al.1 on the thermal transitions of triple helices of (gly-pro-pro)n for n = 10, 15, and 20 using a simple model of unzippering and chain dissociation, the thermodynamic parameters characterizing gly-pro-pro triple-helix formation have been determined. The enthalpy and entropy of triple-helix formation per repeating unit are found to be −7.4 ± 0.8 kcal/mol and −20 ± 2 eu, respectively. Using these parameters, the nature of the unwinding has been investigated for chains containing up to 300 triplets; it is found that there is only a minor amount of helix unwinding from the ends, the major change in helical content arising from chain dissociation. Experimental data on the melting temperatures of natural collagens as a function of imino-acid composition are used together with the thermodynamic parameters for (gly-pro-pro)n to estimate the thermodynamic parameters for triple-helix formation of amino versus imino acids (the parameters for the former being found to be similar to those for α-helix formation). Calculations are given using these parameters for model specific-sequence collagens; it is found that heterogeneity can have a significant influence on the nature of the unwinding of the triple helix.
The Evolution of American Civil Defense Film Rhetoric

In the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. government oversaw the production of civil defense films designed to educate the population about what to do in the event of nuclear war. This article uses films from two distinct periods—the early 1950s and the early 1960s—as a point of departure for discussing U.S. civil defense policies during the Cold War. The article traces four key shifts in the film program's rhetorical strategies. First, an early focus on ideological matters was replaced with an emphasis on practical steps citizens could take. Second, the early conventionalizing of nuclear dangers was replaced by a more subtle integration of those dangers into everyday life. Third, the early films' narrative structures were replaced by a straightforward, documentary-style approach. Finally, the early flippancy with which nuclear war was treated was replaced by a deadly seriousness. These rhetorical shifts indicate that the civil defense establishment was capable of reacting to scientific, political, and popular pre...
Paying Forward and Paying Back

Twenty years after the conclusion of a fieldwork study, a member of the family that once served as my informant came to live with me. This reflexive account of Ari’s stay in our home juxtaposes his socialist kibbutz life with that of my own hypercommodified individualistic urban life. His experiences of working in the illegal economy raise questions about my own hiring practices. In short, we confront ourselves through our respondents’ cultural vision. Ultimately, in revisiting a study I had thought complete, this account raises the question of what we owe those people who help us to gain knowledge about their culture, the currency of our careers. Most of us think a lot about the people we study. After all, our careers are built on what we know and write about them. But what do our respondents think about what we write? What if they showed up in our classrooms or at our front doors looking for an accounting? In a tongue-in-cheek essay entitled “The Last Seminar,” Stanley Cohen (1979) imagined just such an improbable (and potentially nightmarish) scenario. Their former subjects visit him and other faculty in their classrooms. Peasants, factory workers, gang members, and the like invade the researchers’ turf, demanding the return of their native identities and challenging the theories the authorities have advanced about them. 1 I have never shared Cohen’s hallucinations, but not long ago the son of one of my closest informants showed up on my front door with a backpack, a duffel bag, and plans to stay for a year. His arrival occasioned a host of questions for me, particularly about what can happen when the “field” comes to you. In this article, I examine three questions about the relationships we enter into when doing fieldwork. First, what, if anything, do we owe the people we study? Second, what do we learn about ourselves when we look through their eyes? Third, what do we learn about our culture refracted through their experience?
Atlantic Tropical Systems of 1994 and 1995: A Comparison of a Quiet Season to a Near-Record-Breaking One

Abstract Totals of 70 and 63 tropical waves (also known as African or easterly waves) were counted in the Atlantic basin during the 1994 and 1995 hurricane seasons. These waves led to the formation of 9 of the 12 total number of tropical cyclones in 1994 and 19 of the 21 total number of tropical cyclones in 1995. Tropical waves contributed to the formation of 75% of the eastern Pacific tropical cyclones in 1994 and 73% in 1995. Upper- and lower-level prevailing wind patterns observed during the below-normal season of 1994 and the very active one of 1995 are discussed. Tropical wave characteristics between the two years are compared.
TWO TYPES OF H+-ATPASE ARE INVOLVED IN THE ACIDIFICATION OF INTERNAL COMPARTMENTS IN TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI

ATP-driven acidification of internal compartments of Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes was assayed spectrophotometrically with Acridine Orange and cells permeabilized with filipin. H+-ATPase activity was not inhibited fully by either 500 nM concanamycin A or 500 microM orthovanadate, but a combination of 5 nM concanamycin A and 25 microM vanadate completely inhibited activity, suggesting the operation of separate V-type (concanamycin-sensitive) and P-type (vanadate-sensitive) H+-ATPase activities in the permeabilized cells. This was supported by different kinetics of Acridine Orange uptake seen in the presence of the different inhibitors, and by different optimal protein (cell) concentrations for the two apparent activities. The use of different buffers further distinguished the ATPases. The V-H+-ATPase activity was stimulated by K+ and inhibited by a lack of anions or the replacement of Cl- with gluconate. The P-type H+-ATPase activity was not affected by a lack of Cl- or K+ but was substantially inhibited in a largely anion-free buffer. This inhibition could be annulled by the addition of the K+ ionophore valinomycin, which probably acted via the establishment of a countercurrent efflux of K+ from the compartment containing the P-type H+-ATPase and the relief of the potential difference generated by the electrogenic proton pump. Valinomycin showed some stimulation of P-type activity in all buffers tested, but its effects on V-H+-ATPase activity were at best transient except in a K+-free buffer, which suggested that the V-H+-ATPase was located in an organelle with relatively low [K+] that was different from that which accommodated the P-type activity. On the basis of acidity and K+ content, these organelles might correspond, in part at least, to the acidocalcisomes (V-H+-ATPase activity) and the reservosomes (P-type activity) previously identified in these cells. Both activities could also be found in the human-infective forms of the parasite, amastigotes and trypomastigotes, but the P-type activity was relatively weak in these cells types, which is correlated with a lack of reservosomes in these forms.
Fractal Complexity in Mwalimu Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: A Mathematical Exploration

(2012). Fractal Complexity in Mwalimu Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: A Mathematical Exploration. Critical Interventions: Vol. 6, Fractals in Global Africa, Guest Editors: Ron Eglash and Audrey Bennett, pp. 106-121.
State-of-the-Art Microbiologic Testing for Community-Acquired Meningitis and Encephalitis.

ABSTRACT Meningitis and encephalitis are potentially life-threatening diseases with a wide array of infectious, postinfectious, and noninfectious causes. Diagnostic testing is central to determining the underlying etiology, treatment, and prognosis, but many patients remain undiagnosed due to suboptimal testing and lack of tests for all pathogens. In this article, we summarize the epidemiology, barriers to diagnosis, and current best tests for meningitis and encephalitis in developed countries. We end with a brief discussion of new test methods, such as multiplex panel-based tests and metagenomic sequencing, which are likely to alter diagnostic strategies for these conditions in the near future.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A KARST FEATURE DATABASE FOR SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA

A karst feature database of southeastern Minnesota has been developed that allows sinkhole and other karst feature distributions to be displayed and analyzed across existing county boundaries in a geographic information system (GIS) environment. The central Database Management System (DBMS) is a relational GIS-based system interacting with three modules: GIS, statistical, and hydrogeologic modules. Data tables are stored in a Microsoft Access 2000 DBMS and linked to corresponding ArcView shape files. The current Karst Feature Database of Southeastern Minnesota was put on a Windows NT server accessible to researchers and planners through networked interfaces. Initial spatial analyses and visualizations of karst feature distributions in Southeastern Minnesota were conducted using data extracted from the karst feature database. A series of nearest-neighbor analyses indicates that sinkholes in southeastern Minnesota are not evenly distributed (i.e., they tend to be clustered). ArcInfo, ArcView and IRIS ExplorerTM were used to generate a series of 2D and 3D maps depicting karst feature distributions in southeastern Minnesota using data exported from the GIS-based karst feature database. The resulting maps allow regional trends to be visualized and extend county-scale trends to larger state-wide scales.
Laboratory Measurement of Dispersion and Attenuation in the Seismic Frequency

Summary We have continuously made progress in dispersion/attenuation study in laboratory measurement. We calibrated the lab low frequency measurement system for velocity dispersion and wave attenuation. And we test the system by measuring some dry samples, which shows our system can produce repeatable and reasonable result. Currently, we’re conducting the system calibration with confining pressure and pore pressure under different saturation.
Challenging Traditional Thinking: Early Free Tissue Transfer for Active Hemifacial Atrophy in Children.

Background:Hemifacial atrophy (Parry-Romberg syndrome) is an enigmatic craniofacial disorder characterized by progressive facial atrophy. Early age at onset is associated with significant skeletal involvement and jaw abnormalities. Standard reconstructive dogma dictates that the disease should “burn
Effect of Testosterone on Phenol-Soluble Nuclear Acidic Proteins of Rat Ventral Prostate

SummaryAdministration of testosterone to orchiectomized rats enhanced incorporation of 32P-orthophosphate into phenol-soluble nulear acidic proteins of the ventral prostate, but not in those of the liver. Testosterone produced no change in the polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic pattern of these prostatic nuclear acidic proteins. Hepatic and prostatic phenol-soluble nuclear acidic proteins had different electrophoretic patterns.
Digital Signal Processing Methods for Ultrasonic Echoes

Digital signal processing has become an important component of data analysis needed in industrial applications. In particular, for ultrasonic thickness measurements, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) plays a major role in the accurate calculation of the arrival time. For this application, a bandpass filter is not sufficient since the noise level cannot be significantly decreased such that a reliable thickness measurement can be performed. This paper demonstrates the abilities of two regularization methods—total variation (TV) and Tikhonov—to filter acoustic and ultrasonic signals. Both of these methods are compared with frequency-based filtering for digitally produced signals as well as signals produced by ultrasonic transducers. This paper demonstrates the ability of the TV and Tikhonov filters to accurately recover signals from noisy acoustic signals faster than a bandpass filter. Furthermore, the TV filter has been shown to reduce the noise of a signal significantly for the signals with clear ultrasonic echoes. SNRs have been increased over 400% by using simple parameter optimization. While frequency-based filtering is efficient for specific applications, this paper shows that the reduction of noise in ultrasonic systems can be much more efficient with regularization methods.
Adversarial Navigation Mesh Alteration

Game environments are becoming more and more mutable from the actions of both Players and Non Player Characters (NPCs). However, current generation AI agents do not take advantage of the tactical abilities these mutable worlds provide. We propose a method to make the game agents aware of the mutability of the world by extending their repertoire of abilities to include world alteration commands and some evaluation functions, which determine when and where to alter the world for the greatest tactical gain. Primarily, our work focuses on the Adversarial Navigation Mesh Alteration (ANMA) algorithm, which evaluates potential changes to the map in adversarial environments from an attacker and defender point of view. We present an empirical evaluation of the ANMA algorithm in a Capture The Flag (CTF) simulation environment with several teams of agents. One group of agents (adaptive) lacks the ability to initiate world deformations, but they can respond and re-plan to take advantage of world modifications. The second team of agents (builders) can only generate additional paths through the world using the attacker portion of ANMA. The third team of agents (universal) is able to fully deform the world by generating new paths or removing existing paths using both the attacker and defender sections of ANMA. We evaluated these teams and observed that builder agents beat adaptive agents at a rate of 1.33 to 1. The more advanced universal agents beat adaptive agents at a rate of 2.75 to 1 and builder agents 1.4 to 1.
Mechanical-ventilatory cardiac support.

Available evidence indicates that blood flow during external chest compression is the result of fluctuations in intrathoracic pressure, rather than direct cardiac compression. When combined with alpha-adrenergic stimulation, vigorous and prolonged chest compression can generate substantial myocardial and cerebral perfusion.
What Is Antral Gastritis

Antral gastritis rarely should be considered a primary lesion. It often is due to antral irritability secondary to peptic ulcer or carcinoma. Four case reports illustrate the dangers of accepting a diagnosis of antral gastritis without further investigation. Close observation and re-examination often will reveal the underlying cause of antral abnormalities.
Weldability Evaluation of High Chromium, Ni-Base Filler Metals Using the Cast Pin Tear Test

High chromium, nickel-base filler metals have been commonly used throughout the nuclear power industry for the weld overlay repair of dissimilar metal welds. These alloys provide optimum resistance to primary water stress corrosion cracking in nuclear power plant cooling systems. However some of these nickel alloys present weldability challenges including susceptibility to solidification cracking and ductility dip cracking. ERNiCrFe-7A (52M) and ERNiCrFe-13 (52MSS) filler metals, including two heats of 52M and one heat of both 52MSS and 690Nb, have been evaluated in this study. The susceptibility to solidification cracking was evaluated using the cast pin tear test (CPTT). The CPTT was also used to evaluate the effect of dilution between two heats of ERNiCr-3 (FM82) on the solidification cracking behavior. Metallurgical characterization using light optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) in the SEM has been performed in order to identify solidification cracking mechanisms, and to study the effect of liquid film formation and backfilling on cracking susceptibility.
Terminate Fiber Optic Connector Using the Hand Polishing Method

Hand polishing technique is one of many different methods to terminate fiber optic connectors. Although there are now machines or fast fit connectors used to terminate connectors, hand polishing method with the use of a hot melt is known for its reliability as it involves a personal touch, time and patients. This journal outlines the process to make ready a fiber optic cable and to terminate a FC connector. This process can be used to terminate any other connectors as the procedure is the same; however, the components may differ from one connector to another. The procedure is well written to refresh those individuals that have experience with termination within the in-door and out-door plant. In addition, the process is written to introduce those individuals new to fiber optics with a short introduction to fiber optics and terminologies used in the industry.
Childhood Trauma and Adult Risk Factors and Disease in Hispanics/Latinos in the US: Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study.

Objective Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are implicated in diseases of adulthood. We report the prevalence of ACEs in Hispanics/Latinos in the US and their association with major risk factors and diseases in adulthood. Methods Data from the Sociocultural Ancillary Study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) were used. The Sociocultural Ancillary Study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos is an epidemiological study conducted in four urban communities in the US: Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego. The analytic sample comprised 5117 participants, ages 18 to 74 at baseline. Linear and logistic models, adjusted for sociodemographic factors, were used to examine associations of ACEs and risk factors (depressive symptoms, obesity, smoking, and alcohol use) and chronic disease (coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancer); the latter were also adjusted for risk factors. Results Most participants (77.2%) experienced at least one ACE, and 28.7% experienced four or more. Adverse childhood experiences were common among all ancestry groups, with variability among them. Prevalence of four or more ACEs was higher among women than men (31.2% and 25.8%, respectively). Adverse childhood experiences were associated with depressive symptoms, body mass index, smoking, alcohol use, cancer, coronary heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but not asthma, diabetes, or stroke. Associations were not moderated by social support. Conclusions Adverse childhood experiences are prevalent among US Hispanics/Latinos and are involved in disease in adulthood. The apparent higher prevalence of ACEs in US Hispanics/Latinos did not correspond with stronger associations with disease. Further studies are needed to identify factors that may moderate the associations of ACE with adult disease.
Mexico, Families in

In the last century, Mexico has experienced a process of modernization that has led to important changes in family formation, structure, and dynamics. Despite these changes, nearly everyone in Mexico still lives in family-based households. The ideal and traditional Mexican family is based on hierarchies of power that are arranged according to the age and gender of family members, as well as trust in kinship ties. Five processes are fundamental to understanding the social and structural changes that have shaped the modern Mexican family: (1) the increasing presence of women in higher education and in labor markets, which has contributed to the erosion of traditional patriarchal values; (2) fertility transition; (3) increases in divorce, cohabitation, and single-parent households; (4) the effects of US-bound migration on Mexican families and children; and (5) population aging and the role of families in elderly care. Keywords: family; gender roles; Mexico; migration; modernity
Errata: Enhanced resolution pulse-echo imaging with stabilized pulses

This PDF file contains the errata for “JMI Vol. 3 Issue 04 Paper JMI-2016-1208-ERR” for JMI Vol. 3 Issue 04
Lifestyle Redesign® for Chronic Pain Management: A Retrospective Clinical Efficacy Study.

Objective Our objective was to determine the efficacy of a Lifestyle Redesign® intervention for people living with chronic pain on quality of life (QOL), function, self-efficacy, and pain levels. Method Clinical outcomes were collected from 45 patients who completed an individual outpatient Lifestyle Redesign occupational therapy program for chronic pain as part of their usual plan of medical care. Outcome measures included the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, the 36-Item Short-Form Survey, the Brief Pain Inventory, and the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. We analyzed scores using paired-samples t tests. Results Significant changes were observed in occupational performance and satisfaction scores, physical and social functioning, role limitations due to physical and emotional problems, energy and fatigue, general health, and pain self-efficacy. Conclusion Lifestyle Redesign interventions, when integrated into a patient's medical plan of care, can improve patient functioning, self-efficacy, and QOL.
Peer Effects in Education: A Survey of the Theory and Evidence

Abstract We survey the theoretical and empirical literature on peer effects in education. Theoretical models of peer effects are first summarized. Models of educational provision regimes in which peer effects play a central role are then discussed. Next we discuss the identification issues in estimating peer effects and strategies used to resolve them. Last we survey the empirical evidence on and channels of peer effects in education. JEL Codes: I210, C590, D620