cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Weight bias in graduate school admissions.

Objective: Whether weight bias occurs in the graduate school admissions process is explored here. Specifically, we examined whether body mass index (BMI) was related to letter of recommendation quality and the number of admissions offers applicants received after attending in-person interviews. Design and Methods: Participants were 97 applicants to a psychology graduate program at a large university in the United States. They reported height, weight, and information about their applications to psychology graduate programs. Participants' letters of recommendation were coded for positive and negative statements as well as overall quality. Results: Higher BMI significantly predicted fewer post-interview offers of admission into psychology graduate programs. Results also suggest this relationship is stronger for female applicants. BMI was not related to overall quality or the number of stereotypically weight-related adjectives in letters of recommendation. Surprisingly, higher BMI was related to more positive adjectives in letters. Conclusions: The first evidence that individuals interviewing applicants to graduate programs may systematically favor thinner applicants is provided here. A conscious or unconscious bias against applicants with extra body weight is a plausible explanation. Stereotype threat and social identity threat are also discussed as explanations for the relationship between BMI and interview success.
Susceptibility to tigecycline and linezolid among gram-positive isolates collected in the United States as part of the tigecycline evaluation and surveillance trial (TEST) between 2004 and 2009.

Abstract Background The Tigecycline Evaluation and Surveillance Trial (TEST) was initiated in 2004 to chart the activity of tigecycline and comparator antimicrobial agents against gram-positive and gram-negative organisms globally. Objectives This study aimed to provide an analysis of the antimicrobial susceptibility of gram-positive organisms collected from the 9 census regions of the United States between 2004 and 2009. Methods The MICs and antimicrobial susceptibility were determined using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute methodology. For tigecycline, US Food and Drug Administration susceptibility criteria were used. Results A total of 8782 Staphylococcus aureus isolates (54.5% methicillin-resistant S aureus ) were collected, with the highest percentage of MRSA isolates collected from the South Central region (67.9%). All S aureus isolates were susceptible to tigecycline, linezolid, and vancomycin. Overall, 4.6% of Enterococcus faecalis (n = 3753) and 69.1% of Enterococcus faecium (n = 1417) isolates were vancomycin resistant, with the highest rates in the East North Central region for E faecalis (7.1%) and the South Atlantic region for E faecium (79.5%). Small numbers of linezolid nonsusceptible E faecalis (n = 13) were identified. MIC 90 values for tigecycline were ≤0.25 mg/L against E faecalis and 0.12 mg/L against E faecium . Of the Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates collected (n = 4541), 1.1% were penicillin resistant. All S pneumoniae isolates were susceptible to linezolid and vancomycin; susceptibility to tigecycline varied between 80.9% (Pacific region) and 95.2% (West North Central region). Conclusions The rates of MRSA and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp varied among the 9 census regions; however, susceptibility to linezolid, vancomycin, and tigecycline remained consistent, with low MIC 90 values and high rates of antimicrobial susceptibility.
That’s What Friends Are For: Bystander Responses to Friends or Strangers at Risk for Party Rape Victimization

The present research examined bystander responses to potential party rape scenarios involving either a friend or a stranger at risk. Undergraduate students (N = 151) imagined attending a party and seeing a man lead an intoxicated woman (friend or stranger) into a bedroom. After random assignment to conditions, participants reported on intentions to help, barriers to helping, victim blame, and empathic concern. As expected, based on their shared social group membership, bystanders intended to offer more help to friends than to strangers. Bystanders also reported more personal responsibility to help and more empathic concern when the potential victim was a friend rather than stranger. Observing a friend versus stranger at risk did not affect audience inhibition or perceived victim blame. Compared with women, men reported more blame and less empathic concern for potential victims. However, there were no gender differences in bystander intent to help or barriers to helping. In multivariate analyses, both resp...
Control of Dewetting Dynamics by Adding Nanoparticle Fillers

Producing a stable polymer film is a challenge, because dewetting tends to rupture the film. To overcome this drawback, it is essential to control the factors responsible for stabilizing polymer films during processing. Here, we report on a unique strategy to control the rate of dewetting by dispersion of small amount of carbon black and colloidal Si nanoparticle fillers in the polymer thin film. Optical microscopy, AFM and TEM have been used to study the surface and interfacial structure in the vicinity of growing holes. The rate of dewetting is drastically different when filler particles are added to the polymer and strongly depends on nanoparticle concentration in the film. Even though the particle sizes are similar, their effects on the dynamics are very different. We explain our findings in the form of interaction between the polymer chains and particle surface.
Discovery of the archaeal chemical link between glycogen (starch) synthase families using a new mass spectrometry assay.

Starch and its analogue glycogen are biosynthesized by enzymes that have been classified by sequence similarities into two families that have no significant sequence overlap: the animal/fungal gly...
Wide Area Restoration Following Biological Contamination

Current understanding of how to restore a wide area that has been contaminated following a large biological attack is limited. The Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense are executing a four-year collaborative program named the Interagency Biological Restoration Demonstration (IBRD) program. This program is aimed at developing technologies, methods, plans and policies necessary to restore a wide area, including military installations and critical infrastructures, in the event of a large outdoor aerosol release of anthrax. The IBRD program partner pilot city is the Seattle Urban Area to include Fort Lewis, WA and McChord Air Force Base. A front-end systems analysis was conducted as part of IBRD, to: 1) assess existing technologies and processes for wide area restoration; from this, 2) develop an "as-is" decision framework for wide area restoration; and 3) identify and prioritize capability gaps. Qualitative assessments and quantitative analyses, including sensitivity, timeline and case study analyses, were conducted to evaluate existing processes and rank capability gaps. This paper describes the approach and results from this front-end systems analysis.
Behavior of -dimethylamino--bormostyrene and its dimer in dioxane-water

Monomeric p-dimethylamino-α-bromostyrene undergoes SNl increasingly slowly in 60 to 91% dioxane. Reaction is catalyzed by HClO4, NaOH and NaClO4. Dimer 11 reverts to monomer I in 91% dioxane. There is only a small solvent effect on the solvolysis rate of II.
LOS PELIGROS DE SER MUJER, PERIODISTA Y/O DEFENSORA DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS EN EL MÉXICO GLOBALIZADO ACTUAL

El ambiente belico que ha predominado en los ultimos anos en Mexico ha deteriorado la percepcion que internacionalmente se tiene del pais. Las muertes a causa de la guerra oficial desatada en contra de los carteles mexicanos de la droga han sido mas de 50,000 y el numero continua incrementandose diariamente. En especial, las mujeres periodistas y activistas sociales se han visto afectadas por este agravado entorno social; dado que no solo enfrentan la enquistada violencia de genero, sino tambien la generada tanto por el Estado como por el crimen organizado. En este ensayo, se analizaran los trabajos periodisticos de tres destacadas comunicadoras mexicanas, Lydia Cacho, Carmen Aristegui y Anabel Hernandez, quienes a pesar de los amagos en su contra han destacado como lideres de opinion y como luchadoras por la defensa de las libertades y los derechos humanos de los sujetos marginados.
Modified unscented particle filter using variance reduction factor

Sequential Monte Carlo based estimators, also known as particle filters (PF), have been widely used in nonlinear and non-Gaussian estimation problems. However, efficient distribution of the limited number of random samples remains a critical issue in design of the sequential Monte Carlo based estimation algorithms. In this work, we derive a modified unscented particle filter based on variance reduction factor that obtains an efficient distribution of the random samples using a scaled unscented transform. The proposed algorithm is shown to combine the robustness of the unscented particle filter with relatively low computational complexity of the generic particle filter. The efficiency of the proposed approach is evaluated in nonlinear problem of bearings-only target tracking, and its performance is compared to the regularized PF and the Cramer-Rao low bound.
New Fe/SiO2 Materials Prepared using Diiron Molecular Precursors: Synthesis, Characterization and Catalysis

Abstract Several well-defined diiron siloxide complexes have been synthesized, isolated, characterized, and used as molecular precursors for the grafting of well-defined isolated iron species on the surface of mesoporous silica SBA-15. The precursors have bridging siloxide ligands, a diamine linker, or a μ –oxo diiron core, and their binuclear structures have been confirmed by elemental analysis, solution molecular weight measurements, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. All precursors react with SBA-15 to immobilize the iron centers and produce silanol; the various stoichiometries and structural implications of these grafting reactions are discussed. Calcination of the grafted iron complexes yields materials largely devoid of organic components, and these calcined catalysts are active in the oxidation of hydrocarbons by hydrogen peroxide . The catalytic activities and selectivities of these materials are compared with each other and with those of other Fe/SiO 2 catalysts. Issues including iron-loading dependence and grafting conditions are discussed. Characterization of the catalysts by diffuse–reflectance ultraviolet–visible, X-band electron paramagnetic resonance, Mossbauer, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopies indicates that although the diiron structures of the precursors are usually maintained during the initial grafting process, calcination results in their conversion to monoiron centers on the support. This theory is also consistent with the generally similar catalytic behaviors of materials prepared from diiron and monoiron precursors. The implications of these findings for the generality of molecular precursor techniques are discussed.
How well do jurors reason? Competence dimensions of individual variation in a juror reasoning task.

Significant individual variation is observed in how people reason as jurors At the satisficing end of a continuum we identify, the juror draws on evidence selectively to construct a single story of what happened, with no acknowledgment of discrepant evidence or alternative possibilities A contrasting theory-evidence coordination mode of processing entails construction of multiple theories (story-verdict constellations) that are evaluated against the evidence and against alternatives Individual differences influence task outcome, the satisficing mode being associated with more extreme verdict choices and very high certainty
X-Ray Stress Analysis of WC-Co Cermets: I, Procedures★

The factors that influence the measurement of stress by the “two-exposure” X-ray diffractometer technique in the WC phase of WC-Co cermets were studied. Chromium Karadiation was used on the (1012) line of WC (2θ= 135.8°). The X-ray values of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio are 105×106 psi and 0.19, respectively, and the X-ray stress factor is 1.51 × 108 psi/A. The measured stresses are biaxial. Because penetration is limited to less than 5 μm for CrKa radiation, extreme care in surface preparation and heat treatment is required. A suitable preparation is metallographic polishing with 6 μm diamond followed by annealing in hydrogen at 750°C. This treatment allows measurement of about 40, 000 psi compressive temperature stress inherent in the WC particles resulting from differences in coefficients of thermal expansion between WC and Co. Mechanical stresses can also be measured; they arise from external forces such as grinding, polishing, and sand blasting. Mechanical and temperature stresses cannot always be clearly distinguished, however.
Bioinformatic Identification of Novel Methyltransferases.

Methylation of DNA, protein and even RNA species are integral processes in epigenesis. Enzymes that catalyze these reactions using the donor S-adenosylmethionine fall into several structurally distinct classes. The members in each class share sequence similarity that can be used to identify additional methyltransferases. Here, we characterize these classes and in silico approaches to infer protein function. Computational methods, such as hidden Markov model profiling and the Multiple Motif Scanning program, can be used to analyze known methyltransferases and relay information into the prediction of new ones. In some cases, the substrate of methylation can be inferred from hidden Markov model sequence similarity networks. Functional identification of these candidate species is much more difficult; we discuss one biochemical approach.
Generating displays for specifications using attribute grammars

The authors report their experiences using attribute grammars to generate pretty printers automatically for a formal specification language. This technology enables such tools to be created with a relatively small amount of effort. The resulting tools are easy to modify and are fast enough for practical use. The extension of this technique to other notations is discussed. >
Simultaneous brightness contrast in young and old adults

The illusion of simultaneous brightness contrast was used to investigate age changes in contrast sensitivity under suprathreshold conditions. Contrary to findings for threshold measures of visual functioning in older adults, the 20 older adults (aged 60-79 yrs.) showed a significantly larger simultaneous brightness contrast effect (p less than .05) than the 20 younger adults (aged 17-26 yrs.). The increase in simultaneous brightness contrast in older adults is attributed to a degeneration of damping fibers in the visual system.
Bilateral adrenal neuroblastoma

Bilateral adrenal neuroblastoma is extremely rare, with isolated case reports considered to represent metastatic spread rather than simultaneous occurrence. This patient was found to have synchronous, separate, and equal size neoplasms that morphologically and ultrastructurally are neuroblastoma. We believe that these findings represent the unusual occurrence of simultaneous primary adrenal neuroblastoma reflecting multicentric origin of this neoplasm.
ITEM BIAS INDICES BASED ON TOTAL TEST SCORE AND JOB PERFORMANCE ESTIMATES OF ABILITY

Researchers (e.g., Ironson, 1982; Tenopyr, 1990) have suggested that item bias investigators equate subgroups on external criteria such as job performance rather than total test scores before considering subgroup passing rates on test items. In a study comparing these two approaches to studies of item bias, we found little evidence of bias using total test score as the estimate of overall examinee ability, but nearly all items were biased in comparisons of white and African-American subgroups on Numerical, Verbal, and Mechanical Reasoning tests and in male-female comparisons on a Mechanical Reasoning test when job performance was used to select “equally able” examinees. However, the use of job performance as the ability index is analogous to performance-based approaches to test bias (Hartigan & Wigdor, 1989; Thorndike, 1971) and directly equivalent to the Darlington (1971) and Cole (1973) test bias definition, the logical inconsistencies of which have been previously described (Hunter & Schmidt, 1976; Peterson & Novick, 1976). We conclude that performance matching as a basis of forming “equal ability” groups is inappropriate.
Improving phoneme recognition of telephone quality speech

There are some speech understanding applications in which training transcriptions are unavailable, and hence the vocabulary is unknown, but the task is to recognise key words and phrases within an utterance rather than to attempt a complete, accurate transcription. An example of such a task is call-routing, when transcriptions of training utterances (which are very expensive to produce) are unavailable. In such cases, phoneme rather than word recognition is appropriate. However, phoneme recognition of spontaneous speech spoken by a large multi-accent population over telephone connections is very inaccurate. To improve accuracy, we describe a technique in which we segment the waveform into subword-like units and use clustering and an iteratively refined language model to correct the errors in the recognised phonemes. The method was shown to work well on telephone quality spontaneous speech, raising the phoneme accuracy from 28.1% after the first iteration to 47.3% after three iterations.
Implementing a successful quality programme: lessons from those that have failed

Aims to provide a guide for companies to help them implement a successful quality programme, by learning from the many companies which have failed in this regard. By comparing the many companies which were unable to implement a successful quality programme, shows how success or failure can be pre‐determined by addressing four key areas. The first, planning, deals with setting the right quality course for success. The second, commitment, perhaps the broadest area, deals with effective practices for success. The third, opening the quality umbrella, tracks the failure of companies to implement quality company‐wide and beyond. Finally, true customer satisfaction asserts that a purely quality‐based focus is not enough to ensure the survival and success of a quality programme.
First experiment in sun-synchronous exploration

Sun-synchronous exploration is accomplished by reasoning about sunlight: where the Sun is in the sky, where and when shadows will fall, and how much power can be obtained through various courses of action. In July 2001 a solar-powered rover, named Hyperion, completed two sun-synchronous exploration experiments in the Canadian high arctic (75/spl deg/N). Using knowledge of orbital mechanics, local terrain, and expected power consumption, Hyperion planned a sun-synchronous route to visit designated sites while obtaining the necessary solar power for continuous 24-hour operation. Hyperion executed its plan and returned to its starting location with batteries fully charged after traveling more than 6 kilometers in barren, Mars-analog terrain. We describe the concept of sun-synchronous exploration. We overview the design of the robot Hyperion and the software system that enables it to operate sun-synchronously. We then discuss results from analysis of our first experiment in sun-synchronous exploration and conclude with observations.
Insurer-hospital bargaining: negotiated discounts in post-deregulation connecticut

This paper uses unique data from the state of Connecticut to examine discounting patterns in the state’s hospital industry for the years following deregulation (1995-1998). The data provide a rare opportunity to study payer-level differences in negotiated discounts for hospital services. In addition to presenting descriptive evidence on how discounts vary across payers, payer types, and hospital types, this study uses matched revenue data to analyze the economic determinants of discount magnitudes. Payer size appears to affect bargaining power, but the economic significance of the effect is small. The data exhibit patterns consistent with a bargaining explanation in which discount magnitudes depend critically on payers’ abilities to channel patients to hospitals with which favorable discounts have been negotiated.
Genetics of Dyskeratosis Congenita

Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a rare, inherited, skin and bone marrow failure disease. It is a multisystem disorder which is heterogeneous at the genetic and clinical levels. Genetically, nine genes have so far been identified whose mutation causes DC, and inheritance of the disease can be X linked, autosomal dominant or recessive. Clinically, the disease can present in childhood as classical DC with a characteristic triad of nail dystrophy, leukoplakia and abnormal skin pigmentation along with progressive bone marrow failure. More severe forms presenting in infancy and milder forms in adults, as aplastic anaemia or pulmonary fibrosis, exist. All forms of the disease with known pathogenesis are due to failure of telomere maintenance, often leading to stem cell exhaustion. Recent progress in the identification of mutations in human syndromes has revealed that DC overlaps clinically and genetically with a number of other rare syndromes. Key Concepts: The major cause of death in DC is bone marrow failure. The most common form of DC is X linked. In the X-linked form, females are not, or very mildly, affected, but they show extremely skewed X-inactivation, with cells expressing the mutated gene being outgrown by cells expressing the wild type gene. Dyskeratosis congenita is a disease caused by defective telomere maintenance. Nine genes have been discovered to cause dyskeratosis congenita when mutated, and their products are involved in telomerase and its assembly or as part of the telomere. When the disease is caused by mutations in the core components of telomerase, TERT and TERC families show an increase in severity of the disease in later generations, a phenomenon known as genetic anticipation. Genetic anticipation is due to shortening of telomeres from one generation to the next. Some DC mutations are also known causes of pulmonary fibrosis, liver fibrosis and Coats retinopathy. Now that genes responsible for rare syndromes are being discovered, it is becoming evident that there is overlap between DC and several other rare syndromes that have been described. Keywords: telomerase; telomere; dyskerin; TERC; TIN2; Hoyeraal Hreidarsson; anticipation; pulmonary fibrosis; aplastic anaemia; telomere length
Feature Extraction Based on the Independent Component Analysis for Text Classification

The independent component analysis (ICA) is a very popular algorithm used in the blind source separation and it has been widely used in many other fields. In this paper, the ICA is applied to text classification. We try to combine the traditional feature selection methods with ICA technology to improve the text classification performance by extracting Independent features. Further, a series of comparison experiments have been performed. The experiment results have shown that the ICA technology can indeed help to improve the classification performance and the combined method has showed the clear advantages.
First Pass Uptake of Fentanyl, Meperidine, and Morphine in the Human Lung

The first pass uptake of fentanyl, meperidine, and morphine in human lung was studied in patients using a double indicator dilution technique. A bolus containing one of the drugs and indocyanine green dye (ICG) was rapidly injected into the central venous catheter of patients prior to anesthesia for surgery. Sequential arterial blood samples were collected at 1-s intervals for 45 s after injection. The total amount of drug taken up by the lung during the first pass and the instantaneous extraction of drug at each time point during the first pass were calculated from the differences in the arterial blood concentration versus time curves of the nondiffusible indicator (ICG) and the drug. The total uptake (mean +/- SE) during the first pass through the human lung for fentanyl and meperidine was 75.2 +/- 3.2% and 64.7 +/- 7.8% of the injected dose, respectively. The pulmonary uptake of morphine was very small, with 96.5 +/- 7.1% of the injected dose recovered in arterial blood after the first pass through the lung. The arterial blood concentration of drug and dye versus time showed a slight delay of the fentanyl and meperidine peaks compared to ICG. It was also observed that greater than 90% of these drugs were extracted from the blood in the early part of the first pass, but the extraction decreased with time during the first pass through the lung. These findings indicate that some of the drug taken up by the lung can diffuse back out into the blood.2+off
Clarifying the Concept of Respect: Implications for Leadership

Executive Summary Respect is a pervasive factor in practicing, teaching and studying leadership. In this article the concept of respect is clarified using three methods: review of literature; selection of an inter-related series of seven near-synonyms for respect (subjective sense of the person who is respecting); and creation of a view of respect based on twelve distinct objects of respect (what is respected). Together, the series of near-synonyms and the twelve objects of respect constitute the Integrated Typology of Respect. The author suggests implications for leadership theory development, and the study, practice and teaching of leadership, and closes with conclusions and recommendations for future research.
Multi‐steady‐state toxicant fate and effect in laboratory aquatic ecosystems

The influence of competition, exploitation and level of energy input on toxicant fate and effect in simple aquatic laboratory ecosystems was studied. Twenty-four systems composed of populations of guppies (Poecilia reticulata), snails (family Planorbidae) and various taxa of algae were maintained in 40-liter flow-through glass aquaria. Guppies and snails were competitors for a common food resource. Ecosystems were established in which guppies and snails were sympatric and allopatric. The systems were exposed to three levels of guppy exploitation and received two levels of energy input. System dynamic and near steady-state behavior were documented through monthly measurements of population biomasses. Biomasses of interacting populations were displayed on phase planes. Shifts in system structure followed chronic exposure to a sublethal concentration of dieldrin. System responses to the toxicant ranged from increased population biomass to population extinction and were influenced by level of exploitation, energy input rate and species competition. Toxicant concentrations were determined in adult female fish. Both toxicant effect and fate were influenced by system organization and environment. Quite different conclusions concerning toxicant performance in these systems could have been drawn if observation had been restricted to only one set of organizational and environmental conditions.
"Black Male" Imagery and Media Containment of African American Men

Authorized media agents subject African American men to media surveillance. Black male media imagery of the 1980s facilitates their containment in the 1990s. Our national seeing "eye" compels whites to evaluate African American men in terms of imagery that makes them either negative and unembraceable or positive and embraceable. Black male imagery that African Americans consider positive may be deemed unembraceable by white media agents. The black male imagery they produce contains African American men's subjectivity in white public space, defending white privilege in the process.
Passive and active metamaterial constructs and their impact on electrically small radiating and scattering systems

In the decade since the inception of the metamaterials field, there have been a number of exciting advances in understanding and confirming many of their exotic physics properties. Many of these attributes have led to the consideration of engineering metamaterials and metamaterial-inspired structures for a variety of applications. This includes the miniaturization of resonators and their use for improving the performance characteristics of electrically small antennas in the VHF, UHF and microwave regimes and of electrically small scatterers in the optical regime. Active metamaterial constructs have been introduced to increase the bandwidths at low frequencies and to overcome the losses at high frequencies. The theoretical designs of many of these highly subwavelength systems and their simulated performance characteristics have been confirmed experimentally. These concurrences between theory and experiment will be highlighted.
Linear and Switch-Mode Conversion in 3-D Circuits

A methodology for DC-DC conversion in three-dimensional (3-D) circuits is described in this paper. The proposed approach exploits both linear and switching buck converters with different conversion ranges, thereby increasing power efficiency. By replacing the traditional LC filter within a switching converter with a distributed filter, a significant increase in efficiency is demonstrated. Additionally, the physical structure of the filter simultaneously enables the distribution of high current to the load while filtering the switching signal at the input. Design guidelines and expressions are developed, achieving good agreement with simulations based on the MIT Lincoln Laboratories CMOS/SOI 180-nm 3-D technology. The proposed converter distributes 2.5 A maximum current, achieving conversion from 3.3 V to 2.5 V and 1 V with, respectively, 74% and 44% power efficiency.
Stage-specific expression profiling of Drosophila spermatogenesis suggests that meiotic sex chromosome inactivation drives genomic relocation of testis-expressed genes.

In Drosophila, genes expressed in males tend to accumulate on autosomes and are underrepresented on the X chromosome. In particular, genes expressed in testis have been observed to frequently relocate from the X chromosome to the autosomes. The inactivation of X-linked genes during male meiosis (i.e., meiotic sex chromosome inactivation—MSCI) was first proposed to explain male sterility caused by X-autosomal translocation in Drosophila, and more recently it was suggested that MSCI might provide the conditions under which selection would favor the accumulation of testis-expressed genes on autosomes. In order to investigate the impact of MSCI on Drosophila testis-expressed genes, we performed a global gene expression analysis of the three major phases of D. melanogaster spermatogenesis: mitosis, meiosis, and post-meiosis. First, we found evidence supporting the existence of MSCI by comparing the expression levels of X- and autosome-linked genes, finding the former to be significantly reduced in meiosis. Second, we observed that the paucity of X-linked testis-expressed genes was restricted to those genes highly expressed in meiosis. Third, we found that autosomal genes relocated through retroposition from the X chromosome were more often highly expressed in meiosis in contrast to their X-linked parents. These results suggest MSCI as a general mechanism affecting the evolution of some testis-expressed genes.
“Emerging” Neglected Tropical Diseases

The vector-borne neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), such as the filarial infections (lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis) and the kinetoplastid infections (leishmaniasis, human African trypanosomiasis [HAT], and Chagas’ disease), often exhibit features that are characteristic of emerging infections. Among some key factors responsible for the emergence or reemergence of selected NTDs are conflict and human migration, urbanization and deforestation, and climate change. The chapter discusses each of these factors and their impact on the emergence and reemergence of specific NTDs in detail. The most common manifestation is cutaneous leishmaniasis, which is usually caused by Leishmania braziliensis, Leishmania mexicana, and related species in the Americas and Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Trachoma is another NTD that has reemerged in the context of conflict and insecurity. Caused by ocular infection with certain serovars of the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, trachoma is the leading infectious cause of preventable blindness worldwide. Today in Latin America, urbanization has become an important social force for the emergence of both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. The effect of rising world temperatures on the NTDs is seen primarily on the geographical distribution of vectors and reservoir hosts. Some of the factors related to the emergence or reemergence of these diseases are discussed and include conflict, deforestation, urbanization, and climate change.
Forensic Examinees Asking Probing Questions.

At rural county jails, in the barren and noisy rooms in which we are permitted to conduct our forensic mental health interviews and evaluations, sometimes the role of questioner gets reversed. In these settings, we find ourselves pausing now and then, not only to let the talking and yelling outside
The comparative susceptibility of male and female and of mature and immature cats to infection with sub-periodic Brugia malayi.

An attempt was made to provide definitive information on the relative susceptibility of male and female and of immature and mature cats to experimental infection with sub-periodic Brugia malayi . Data from blood smears and from necropsies of cats used for various experimental procedures over a period of several years were reviewed. It was concluded that while immature cats were probably more susceptible to infection than mature animals, cats of any age can be infected with sufficient reliability to be useful in experimental studies. On the basis of larval worm recoveries and the presence of microfilaria in peripheral blood smears, there did not seem to be a demonstrable difference in susceptibility between male and female cats.
Data is dead... without what-if models

Current database technology has raised the art of scalable descriptive analytics to a very high level. Unfortunately, what enterprises really need is prescriptive analytics to identify optimal business, policy, investment, and engineering decisions in the face of uncertainty. Such analytics, in turn, rest on deep predictive analytics that go beyond mere statistical forecasting and are imbued with an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that govern a system's behavior, allowing what-if analyses. The database community needs to put what-if models and data on equal footing, developing systems that use both data and models to make sense of rich, real-world complexity and to support real-world decision-making. This model-and-data orientation requires significant extensions of many database technologies, such as data integration, query optimization and processing, and collaborative analytics. In this paper, we argue that data without what-if modeling may be the database community's past, but data with what-if modeling must be its future.
A Spectral Difference Method for the Euler and Navier-Stokes Equations on Unstructured Meshes

This work focuses on the extension of the recently introduced Spectral Difference Method to viscous flow. The spectral difference method is a conservative pseudo-spectral scheme based on a local collocation on unstructured elements. Recently results for scalar transport equations and the Euler equations have been presented. For the extension to viscous flow several techniques are investigated, such as a central discretization and a split upwind/downwind discretization, akin to the procedure used in the LDG method.
Abundance of Frankliniella spp. (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on Winter and Spring Host Plants

Abundance of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), and tobacco thrips, F. fusca (Hinds), was determined during winter and early spring in northern and central Florida using weekly samples collected from hairy vetch, Vicia villosa Roth; crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum L.; and wheat Triticum aestivum L. Abundance of F. occidentalis was greater in northern than in central Florida, and population densities greater in the terminal buds compared with the leaves. A total of 3.9 and 5.1 generations developed in northern Florida vetch during 2 winter/early spring seasons, which agreed well with predictions of 3.5 and 4.8, respectively, based on degree-day accumulations. Crimson clover was a poor host for F. occidentalis and F. fusca at both locations. Abundance of F. fusca in wheat was similar in northern and central Florida, and population densities of immature thrips were greater on branches compared with the leaves. Three complete and 2 partial generations of F. fusca developed on wheat, which was one more than predicted using degree-day accumulations.
Engaging Rural Appalachian High School Girls in College Science Laboratories to Foster STEM-Related Career Interest.

Setting students on a path to success in careers in science is a challenge in poor rural Appalachian public schools. Students face many socioeconomic obstacles. Their teachers are also limited by many factors including inadequate facilities, under-funding, geographical isolation of the schools, and state-testing constraints. Additionally, students and teachers lack the availability of outside science educational opportunities. In an effort to address this situation, 24 academically strong high school junior girls and their teachers from the Carter County School System in rural east Tennessee were invited for a laboratory day at Milligan College, a small liberal arts college in the heart of the county. Science faculty, female science majors, and admissions staff volunteered in service to the project. The event included three laboratory sessions, lunch in the college cafeteria, and campus tours. This successful example, as evidenced by positive evaluations by the invited girls and their teachers, of educational outreach by a local, small liberal arts college to a rural county school system provides a model for establishing a relationship between higher education institutions and these underprivileged schools, with the intention of drawing more of these poor, rural Appalachian students, particularly girls, into a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career path. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
Numerical and experimental studies of spark-induced impulsive acoustic disturbances in compressible flow

Among the many challenges that face designers of supersonic and hypersonic aircraft, the issue of boundary layer transition as it spawns from freestream disturbance receptivity is central. Experimental studies of this complex phenomenon require the characterization of acoustic disturbance sources in terms of intensity and spectral content. Among the possible sources for these studies, sparks have been identified as viable candidates, primarily because the impulsive disturbance provides broad spectrum excitation and does not suffer from wave interference issues that plague continuous sources in supersonic flow. Despite the advantages of spark sources, a number of practical issues arise in their implementation, particularly with regard to electrical noise generated by the high voltage pulse applied to the spark gap. In addition, the low static pressure levels typifying supersonic and hypersonic test sections make the implementation of any acoustic source difficult in terms of signal to noise ratio for the disturbance measurement. This work presents both experimental measurements and numerical predictions of the time-dependent sound pressure field generated by a spark discharge in air at various static pressures ranging from 90 to 3 kPa absolute. The channel generated by the spark discharge was simulated numerically using a time dependent energy source. Code validation runs were conducted using a 2-dimensional, inviscid model for a continuous harmonic point source to compare with acoustic theory, for both still air and a supersonic mean flow. The spark experiments were conducted with 5 different spark gaps to study the influence of gap spacing on sound pressure level as well. The measured data showed peak SPL's above 110 dB at the largest distance * Associate Professor, gbuck@taz.sdsmt.edu ** Graduate Student, ylime@engr.colostate.edu (3.5 inches (88.9 mm) from source) even at the lowest static pressures tested, but revealed the emergence of oscillations at low pressure, speculated to be due to reduced sensor damping under these conditions. It was also observed that the sound pressure decreased slowly with decreasing static pressure, until a threshold of about 10 kPa was reached; static pressures below this threshold resulted in substantial reductions in
Esterification of Geraniol by Homogenates of Boll Weevil

The male boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, produces a complex of monoterpenoids (a pheromone) that has both sexual and aggregating activity (Tumlinson et al. 1969). However, to produce the pheromone complex, the male must feed continually, preferably on cotton buds, which contain compounds that are modified in the gut and then voided with the fecal material (Hardee 1970). We evaluated the effect of homogenates of boll weevils on a monoterpene compound, the common intermediate, geraniol.
Human Rights Abuses in Crimea under Russia’s Occupation

Russian and local authorities have severely curtailed human rights protection in Crimea since Russia began its occupation of the peninsula in February 2014. This article describes the human rights consequences of the extension of Russian law and policy to Crimea since the occupation. Russia has violated multiple obligations which it has as an occupying power under international humanitarian law – in particular in relation to the protection of people’s rights.
New Method Study on Transformer Anti-Short-Circuit Capacity Checking in Consideration of Test and Operation Information

Introduction was made to the insuffi ciency of traditional transformer anti-short-circuit capacity checking method. This paper raised a new method of transformer anti-short-circuit in consideration of test and operation information, which took the traditional design calculation checking as the basis, adding test and operation information to carry out amendment for design checking result, to realize dynamic checking of transformer anti-short-circuit capacity. The actual calculation examples verify that the method is easier to fi nd system weak links.
Catheterization of the caudal vena cava via the lateral saphenous vein in the ewe, cow, and gilt: an alternative to utero-ovarian and medial coccygeal vein catheters.

Current methods for obtaining venous blood from the reproductive organs of livestock often have a low rate of success or involve intensive surgical procedures that may impair ovarian function. Therefore, the caudal vena cava was catheterized via the lateral saphenous vein to determine the feasibility of using this method for chronic sampling of blood draining from the reproductive organs of ewes (n = 6), cows (n = 6), and gilts (n = 7). Blood samples were collected at 2-cm (ewes and gilts) or 5-cm (cows) intervals during insertion of catheters. Correct placement, defined as the position at which plasma concentrations of progesterone or estrogen were at least threefold greater than in jugular venous plasma, varied among species and among animals within species. It seemed, however, that a majority of catheters would be placed correctly if secured at 48 to 52 cm in ewes, 52 cm in gilts, and 90 to 100 cm in cows. Saphenous vein catheters were secured for sequential sampling of vena caval blood during the follicular phase of ewes (n = 25), cows (n = 4), and gilts (n = 5). Catheters remained patent for the duration of sampling in all individuals. Concentrations of estrogen in jugular and vena caval plasma were correlated (ewe P less than .0003; cow P less than .0001; gilt P less than .0001). Profiles of progesterone and estrogen revealed an episodic pattern of secretion in vena caval but not jugular plasma. Catheterization of the vena cava via the saphenous vein is a relatively simple and noninvasive method for obtaining blood containing uterine and ovarian hormones before their metabolism.
Posttranscriptional regulation of colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) and CSF-1 receptor gene expression during inhibition of phorbol-ester-induced monocytic differentiation by dexamethasone and cyclosporin A: potential involvement of a destabilizing protein

Colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) and its receptor (encoded by the c-fms proto-oncogene) have long been recognized as playing an important role in monocytic differentiation. However, the regulation of expression of the CSF-1 and c-fms genes during inhibition of monocytic differentiation has not been fully characterized. The present studies demonstrate that dexamethasone (dex) and cyclosporin A (CsA) resulted in inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced monocytic differentiation of HL60 cells, as well as TPA induction of c-fms and CSF-1 transcripts. These agents also blocked TPA-induced adherence, alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase staining, and the development of a more differentiated morphology. Nuclear run-off analyses revealed no effect of either of these agents on transcription of either c-fms or CSF-1 genes in TPA-treated HL60 cells. Measurements of c-fms transcript half-life confirmed post-transcriptional regulation of c-fms transcript levels after the addition of dex or CsA to TPA, both of which resulted in a decrease in c-fms mRNA half-life. Others have suggested that TPA results in the stabilization of c-fms mRNA in HL60 cells through induction of a labile mRNA stabilizing protein. We observed, however, that the inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide (CH) in this setting of early monocytic differentiation increased both c-fms and CSF-1 steady-state transcript levels. While CH had no effect on the transcription of c-fms and CSF-1 genes in TPA/dex- or TPA/CsA-treated HL60 cells, c-fms mRNA was stabilized after the addition of CH to TPA/dex-treated cells. Taken together, our results suggest the existence of a labile mRNA regulatory protein or proteins, whose actions include destabilization of both c-fms and CSF-1 transcripts after inhibition of TPA-induced monocytic differentiation by dex or CsA.
Interval timing under a behavioral microscope: Dissociating motivational and timing processes in fixed-interval performance

The distribution of latencies and interresponse times (IRTs) of rats was compared between two fixed-interval (FI) schedules of food reinforcement (FI 30 s and FI 90 s), and between two levels of food deprivation. Computational modeling revealed that latencies and IRTs were well described by mixture probability distributions embodying two-state Markov chains. Analysis of these models revealed that only a subset of latencies is sensitive to the periodicity of reinforcement, and prefeeding only reduces the size of this subset. The distribution of IRTs suggests that behavior in FI schedules is organized in bouts that lengthen and ramp up in frequency with proximity to reinforcement. Prefeeding slowed down the lengthening of bouts and increased the time between bouts. When concatenated, latency and IRT models adequately reproduced sigmoidal FI response functions. These findings suggest that behavior in FI schedules fluctuates in and out of schedule control; an account of such fluctuation suggests that timing and motivation are dissociable components of FI performance. These mixture-distribution models also provide novel insights on the motivational, associative, and timing processes expressed in FI performance. These processes may be obscured, however, when performance in timing tasks is analyzed in terms of mean response rates.